PARIS – Demonstrators took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest the rising cost of living, as high school students continued voicing anger over education conditions following more than three weeks of school blockades.
The nationwide actions were promoted online as an attempt to reignite France’s yellow vest movement, which began in 2018 as a protest against social inequality. Student organizations that have been demonstrating since mid-September encouraged their supporters to participate in the latest mobilization.
The CGT, one of the country’s largest labor unions, endorsed the demonstrations. It is demanding improved pay and pensions, relief from high prices and stronger protection for public services designed to meet everyday needs.
President Emmanuel Macron urged protesters and authorities to remain calm on Friday, as French officials warned that some gatherings could turn violent.
Speaking in Brussels, Macron reaffirmed the constitutional right to demonstrate and express political views, saying he has consistently worked to ensure that freedom is protected. At the same time, he stressed that protests must respect individuals and property and must not involve insults, destruction or intimidation.
He called it “unacceptable” for individuals to join the demonstrations with the sole intention of causing damage or provoking disorder.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said authorities were preparing for hundreds of protest-related events nationwide, including more than 80 organized marches, spontaneous gatherings and road blockades.
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In Paris, the main march was scheduled to begin in the early afternoon from Republic Plaza, located northeast of the city center.
Police prohibited several other planned gatherings in central Paris. At the authorities’ request, numerous Metro stations were also closed, including stops near the Champs-Elysees, the presidential palace, Parliament and government buildings.
The latest demonstrations follow weeks of unrest across France, marked by thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries and fires at schools. The student protests, which began as the new academic year opened, have expanded into a national issue, shaping the presidential election debate and attracting attention abroad.
Some teenagers suffered severe injuries that protesters attributed to police crowd-control weapons. Nuñez halted the use of one type of stun grenade against young demonstrators after a 15-year-old lost a hand.
On Tuesday, climate and social justice campaigner Greta Thunberg joined students at a high school in Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris.
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