Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take part in marches across French cities on Thursday, while public-sector workers prepare to strike in a major new test for President Emmanuel Macron.

The latest mobilisation comes after weeks of unrest that have shaken the government and eclipsed nearly every other issue five months before the presidential election. Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s hard-right National Rally, currently leads opinion polls.

Trade unions including the left-wing CGT, along with student organisations, have called for the demonstrations. The protests follow growing anger over the cost of living, strained public services and education, in what has become France’s most serious period of civil unrest in years.

Officials have worked to contain tensions since riots and looting on October 17 caught security forces by surprise. Shops and public buildings were damaged across the country, intensifying criticism of Macron’s response to the crisis.

‘We are being exceptionally vigilant because reliving October 17 is simply out of the question,’ government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.

Around 70,000 police officers are due to be deployed nationwide.

France’s domestic intelligence service estimates that between 500,000 and 700,000 people could demonstrate outside Paris, with as many as 80,000 expected to march in the capital.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that authorities would respond with ‘extreme firmness’ to any violence or public disorder.

People in Halloween costumes gather at La Plaine Square in Marseille, France, on October 31, 2026

Thousands gather at La Plaine Square in Marseille on October 31, building barricades and confronting police during the evening unrest

A protester holds a firework during a Paris demonstration organised by labour unions and joined by Yellow Vest activists, high school pupils and university students on October 31

The Education Ministry said 17.5 per cent of teachers at public primary schools were expected to walk out. Unions also predicted disruption to rail networks and other public transport services.

Students are expected to be prominent in Thursday’s marches, with many saying deteriorating school conditions and uncertainty about their prospects have become urgent concerns.

‘We are trying to maintain the mobilisation as much as possible. Some people are staying away because they are frightened. Many are afraid of police violence,’ said Irma de Banville, a 19-year-old student in Paris.

The government has defended the actions of police while insisting that alleged abuses will be investigated.

Macron held a defence and security meeting on Wednesday ahead of the demonstrations. The gathering highlighted how a movement that began with student anger over worsening school conditions and limited opportunities for young people has grown into a wider political threat.

‘The objective over the coming weeks is to bring the river that has overflowed back into its channel and begin the presidential campaign in the calmest conditions possible,’ said an official close to Macron. The official pointed to a decline in the number of high schools blockaded this week compared with earlier in the crisis.

Protests held nationwide last Saturday were mostly peaceful, although clashes broke out on the fringes of some demonstrations.

The political climate nevertheless remains highly charged. Presidential hopefuls are positioning themselves ahead of the election, while opposition parties attempt to turn dissatisfaction over living standards and government policy to their advantage.

Demonstrators take to the streets as tensions rise during protests in Paris, France, on October 31

Weeks of unrest have unsettled Emmanuel Macron’s government and dominated the political agenda five months before the presidential election

A masked protester joins a nationwide demonstration in Marseille, southern France, on October 31

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A vehicle burns as demonstrators take to the streets during escalating protests in Paris on October 31

Demonstrators clash with police as tensions intensify during protests in Paris on October 31

Demonstrators carrying banners, flags and costumes confront police during Yellow Vest protests in Paris on October 31

A strike in the energy sector in mid-September had already reduced electricity production and limited delivery capacity at Dunkirk LNG, France’s largest liquefied natural gas terminal.

‘This will be a powerful mobilisation,’ said Marylise Leon of the CFDT union, predicting participation on a scale similar to the 2023 protests against pension reform, when more than one million people took to the streets.

Unions representing public and private education workers have called for industrial action, as have organisations for railway staff, hospital employees and postal workers.

In demands directed at both the government and employers, unions are seeking a higher minimum wage—the first discretionary increase since 2012—along with broad pay rises, tax changes and improved learning conditions for young people.

An attempted murder inquiry is under way after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces during protests in Paris on Saturday.

Several teenagers have suffered serious injuries, while thousands of people have been arrested during the unrest.

Authorities have acknowledged failures in security and intelligence that allowed the clashes, widespread looting and vandalism of public property on October 17 to escalate.

On Wednesday, Paris officials prohibited a planned route between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Concorde, which would have taken protesters through the heart of the capital.

Protesters erect barricades in side streets around La Plaine Square on October 31

Protesters kick tear-gas canisters away during unrest in Paris on October 31

French high school students hold a sit-in outside Lycée Henri IV in Paris during nationwide strikes and protests on November 5

A person throws rubbish bins onto a fire outside the International High School Montebello in Lille, northern France, on November 2

A protester waves a flare during a demonstration over rising living costs in Nantes on Saturday, October 31

Police replaced the prohibited route with an authorised path heading east, away from central Paris.

Several unions condemned the restrictions as an attack on the right to demonstrate, while others submitted last-minute legal appeals seeking to restore the original routes.

‘We can see a cumulative effect. Public support for the high school and university students’ movement has not faded, and people are increasingly questioning limits on civil liberties, particularly bans on demonstrations,’ said Fabrice Fort of the CGT.

‘It has acted as a wake-up call for people who do not usually speak out,’ he added.

Youth-led protests have also emerged elsewhere in Europe in recent weeks, including demonstrations in Denmark, Germany and Italy.

Britain could face a Christmas tree shortage in the years ahead after the hottest summer on record and severe drought produced a smaller crop for many growers.

The exceptionally dry conditions across England and Wales killed many young saplings during their first year, while established trees experienced stunted growth.

The extreme weather has raised concerns about the quality of this year’s harvest and the potential for shortages in future, as Christmas trees typically take eight years to reach the point of being cut.

Clive Collins, owner of Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm near Bexhill in East Sussex, said a particularly late frost in May had also damaged the growth of older trees.

He told the Daily Mail that imports had fallen this year because of logistical problems, including a shortage of lorry drivers and sharply higher fuel costs.

Mr Collins – who has farmed Christmas trees for more than 30 years and has 16,000 growing on his plantation – said the extreme weather had also reduced the number of trees available for export.

He added: ‘This is making importing very expensive. As a result, there is a shift towards domestic sourcing and British consumers will be relying more heavily on the millions of trees being grown domestically on UK plantations.

‘There should still be sufficient trees this year – and we have plenty at Catsfield. The weather has affected the quality of some trees – although we have plenty of top quality ones at Catsfield – so people might struggle to find their perfect tree.

Clive Collins is the founder and owner of Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm in East Sussex

Mr Collins says his crop was affected by a very late frost in late May as well as the hot weather

‘It is not just the heat that has affected the trees – we lost a number of very young trees this year – but a very late frost in late May in the South East damaged the buds of some older trees and affected their growth.

‘We have just planted 1,800 replacements for the trees we lost this year – autumn planting is becoming more common because the weather is increasingly unpredictable. More rain will help the roots. Growing Christmas trees is not as straightforward as people might think.

‘You cannot simply plant them and leave them. They need fertilising, protection from birds and other wildlife, pruning and monitoring throughout the year.

‘It takes seven years to grow a 6ft tree – not including the two years needed to grow a sapling, which is usually imported from Denmark. It is a constant learning process as new techniques and species are introduced.’

He said the industry also experiences a ‘hog cycle’ – when ‘the price of trees is high so everyone plants Christmas trees – seven years after that there are too many trees, then the price goes down – people stop planting and then there is a scarcity’.

Oliver Combe, who runs York Christmas Trees with his wife and son, said around 2,000 newly planted trees had died during the hot, dry summer.

The 57-year-old, who will supply this year’s 10 Downing Street tree, has begun planting in autumn to give the trees more time to develop strong roots before summer droughts arrive.

He described it as a ‘tough year’ for growers, with ‘no proper rain since Easter’, adding: ‘For the first time ever we have had losses in what we planted last year.’

Edward Barham, owner of the Hole Park Estate in Rolvenden, Kent, said he had lost a ‘few saplings planted this year which had insufficiently well-established root systems’, but the area’s heavy clay soils retained moisture and helped the trees survive the drought

Mr Combe said he was also considering irrigating his crops using water from two ponds on the farm, which he hopes will contain enough water when it is needed.

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He told The Daily Telegraph: ‘The summer of 2018 was pretty extreme. We did think it was an exception before but very, very hot summers are becoming the norm.

‘We used to have drier Aprils and Mays but it seems to be drier for longer. We all think ‘oh, it will balance out over August’, but one of my fields is still bone dry.’

Growers are advising the public to wait until the beginning of December to buy a tree, when it will have experienced several frosts and should hopefully remain fresh for longer after being cut.

James and Ruth Wallis, who run Sutton Hall Farm near Lewes in East Sussex, said the severe weather had killed 20,000 trees planted two years ago.

Mr Wallis, whose harvest is expected to be a third smaller this year, told the BBC: ‘The drought has made it harder for trees to absorb nutrients, and some have turned yellow.’

The farm does not have an irrigation licence and was therefore unable to water its trees. Instead, the couple left weeds growing around the smaller trees to provide some protection from the heat.

Mrs Wallis added: ‘The financial consequences are significant. You invest a huge amount of time and effort into producing a quality tree, so it’s very disappointing.’

Will and Ella Miles, whose Welford Christmas Tree Farm in Northamptonshire will supply two trees to Downing Street this year, lost 4,000 saplings during the drought.

The winners of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association were announced last month – including Will and Ella Miles (far left) from Welford Christmas Tree Farm in Northamptonshire

They are now planting young trees in autumn, giving them more time to establish their roots before hot weather arrives and improving their resistance to drought.

However, Hole Park Estate in Rolvenden, Kent, which began establishing its plantations in the mid-1960s, said its trees had survived the drought because the High Weald’s heavy clay soils retained moisture from earlier rainfall.

Hole Park owner Edward Barham said: ‘There has been understandable concern about the impact of the Summer drought on this year’s Christmas tree crop, but we’ve been fortunate that our location in the Weald has worked very much in our favour.

‘Our heavy clay soils held on to moisture remarkably well and the trees have responded brilliantly. 

‘Whilst we have lost a few saplings planted this year which had insufficiently well-established root systems, and have had to water young trees, we have seen very little drought-related damage to established trees and the overall quality of this year’s crop is outstanding with excellent colour.’

Russell Parkins of the British Christmas Tree Association described it as a ‘tough year’, adding: ‘There are enough trees, but it’s a challenge to keep them in good condition.

‘We’ve applied more fertiliser into the tree so there is more moisture in the ground. As the trees shut down for winter, it can still maintain the nutrients.’

Severe drought conditions remain across parts of south-west England and Sussex, including Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex.

However, the whole of north-west England, including Greater Manchester and Cumbria, was moved to recovery status last week following England’s wettest week in two years.

Much of Wales remains in drought after the UK’s hottest summer since records began in 1884. At least 120 per cent of average rainfall is expected to be required over the next six months for the entire country to emerge from drought by next spring.

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David Jones customers are looking for clarity after the department store giant entered voluntary administration, raising concerns about potential store closures, the future of gift cards and whether major clearance sales are imminent.

The 188-year-old retailer made the move on Thursday after failing to pay rent owed to Scentre Group, the owner of Westfield shopping centres. The decision has placed the future of the business and its 6,000 employees under a cloud.

Retail analyst Barry Urquhart said the weakest suburban locations were likely to face the greatest risk across David Jones’ 38-store network. He also advised customers with gift cards to consider using them in case some stores ultimately shut.

According to Mr Urquhart, the flagship stores in Sydney and Melbourne have stronger prospects because they benefit from tourism and consistently high pedestrian traffic.

‘I’m told they have identified between eight and 10 stores that they will be closing down,’ he told the Daily Mail on Thursday.

‘I suspect one, two, three or four may close before Christmas. The underperforming suburban stores are very obvious. They simply don’t have the traffic.

‘The CBD stores have their own drawcard. They have an established presence and naturally generated footfall.’

Mr Urquhart said David Jones had spent more than three years looking for a buyer, but had failed to attract a successful offer.

Australian department store David Jones has entered voluntary administration

Retail analyst Barry Urquhart (pictured) says David Jones’ weakest suburban locations face the greatest threat across its 38-store network

Mr Urquhart said the failed search for a buyer reflected wider pressure on department stores worldwide, including Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s. Pictured, an empty David Jones store

‘It is clear there isn’t one. They have searched internationally for potential buyers and come up with nothing,’ Mr Urquhart said.

‘There has been no sign of anyone wanting to purchase it over the past three years. Why would that suddenly change now?’

Mr Urquhart said David Jones’ difficulties formed part of a wider crisis affecting department store chains around the world, including Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s.

‘Once the cash runs out, the time runs out as well. Then creditors force the business out. That is essentially what is happening here. They have a cash-flow problem,’ he said.

‘This won’t be a sudden collapse. Wherever possible, it will be a managed process of gradual reduction.

‘David Jones used to be the destination that brought shoppers into centres. It has not played that role for a long time.

‘You cannot operate as a national department store in Australia with 12, 15 or 20 locations. That simply doesn’t work.’

Customers hoping to take advantage of dramatic liquidation discounts may also be disappointed, with the retailer unlikely to stage the kind of deep clearance sales often seen during major retail collapses.

David Jones may not be able to offer the huge liquidation discounts associated with retail collapses because it needs to conserve cash, Mr Urquhart said

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Mr Urquhart said the company could not afford to sacrifice large amounts of revenue through aggressive discounting because it needed to protect its remaining cash reserves.

‘In retail, every dollar discounted comes directly out of your profit,’ he said.

‘They need to generate excess cash flow. A massive discount campaign or clearance sale would work against that.’

Employees were told on Thursday that the David Jones board had appointed McGrathNicol as voluntary administrators. The retailer’s main financier separately appointed FTI Consulting as receivers.

In a joint statement, McGrathNicol and FTI Consulting said David Jones’ stores and website would continue operating under the receivers’ oversight while the business and its current operations were assessed.

Financial services firm MST Marquee has highlighted a number of suburban locations as particularly exposed, including Westfield Parramatta and Warringah Mall in New South Wales.

The Queensland stores named as vulnerable include Carindale, Indooroopilly, Robina Town Centre and Sunshine Plaza. Westfield Marion in South Australia, along with Westfield Doncaster and Southland in Victoria, has also been flagged.

In Western Australia, Carousel, Booragoon and Karrinyup are considered among the locations facing the greatest risk.

The wider consequences could ultimately affect superannuation fund members whose retirement savings are invested in shopping centres and property companies

Mr Urquhart said the most significant long-term consequences may extend beyond David Jones employees and shoppers.

‘My greatest concern is not the David Jones customer. It is the superannuation funds that have invested in shopping centres and property developers,’ he said.

‘David Jones remains an anchor tenant for shopping centres. Its decline will have significant and unintended consequences.

‘Ultimately, superannuants and superannuation funds may receive lower returns from their investments in property development companies.’

For customers holding David Jones gift cards, Mr Urquhart advised against panic but urged them not to delay indefinitely.

‘I wouldn’t panic. I wouldn’t rush out immediately, but I also wouldn’t keep it indefinitely,’ Mr Urquhart said.

‘It may be a good time to review what you have and make a plan to redeem it in the near future, without acting out of panic.’

David Jones had reportedly asked for temporary relief from rent payments and sought permission to shut several stores before their leases ended.

The retailer also reportedly requested access to about $70 million held by landlords as lease security, saying the funds could be used to pay employees and suppliers.

Scentre Group said David Jones had breached its lease agreements by failing to pay its October rent. The shopping centre owner said it had offered the retailer deferred rental payments and the option of closing some Westfield stores during the next 12 months.

Donald Trump Jr has backed JD Vance’s blistering criticism of the US president’s war with Iran after Republicans suffered a devastating defeat in the midterm elections.

The Republican Party lost control of both the House and Senate, as voters treated the elections as a referendum on the White House’s performance. Rising petrol prices, the effects of tariffs and the conflict with Iran all fueled growing public anger.

As the scale of the losses became clear, Vice President Vance launched an extraordinary attack on the president’s handling of the war in a lengthy post on X.

Vance, considered a leading Republican contender for the 2028 presidential race, outlined what he believed had driven the party’s defeat and asked voters to give the MAGA movement another opportunity in the future.

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance wrote.

Trump’s eldest son responded approvingly, writing: “Every word of this is…” before adding three Hundred Points emojis.

Vance also challenged those who had supported military action against Iran, calling on them to accept responsibility for pushing the United States into another conflict in the Middle East.

“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest,” he said.

Donald Trump Jr (pictured at a rally in Ohio on November 2) joined JD Vance’s criticism of the US President’s war with Iran

Vance published his election reaction just moments before arriving at the White House in his motorcade for private meetings.

The president withdrew into the White House for private policy discussions, with no public appearances scheduled for Wednesday night.

By early afternoon, however, he summoned reporters to the White House ballroom.

Trump made no reference to the crushing election results until he was questioned about them, then acknowledged that the war had played a part.

“It is largely true,” he conceded. But he added: “If I had to do it again, I would do it. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”

Asked about the 2028 presidential contest and whether Vance might run, Trump said: “Maybe he won’t run. I don’t know who is going to run.”

Vance had privately urged the president not to launch the war but kept his public criticism restrained for much of the year.

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He called on Trump supporters to remain patient, arguing that the conflict in Iran was not destined to become a “forever war” in the Middle East like the long and unpopular campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also privately advised Trump to proceed cautiously before the United States went to war with Iran. However, he avoided speaking frequently about the operation after it failed to end as quickly as the president had predicted.

In a late-night interview with Fox News, Trump acknowledged that higher gas prices were one damaging consequence of the war in Iran and had hurt Republicans at the polls.

“I understand that, I don’t agree with it… it’s a short-term problem for long-term gain… The gasoline was caused by Iran,” he said.

During the run-up to the midterms, Trump traveled to rallies across the country and urged supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot.”

Even before the full extent of the Republican losses was known, however, he sought to distance himself from any blame.

“I don’t like to consider it a defeat for me. I wasn’t on the ballot,” Trump said.

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Voters fill out their ballots to vote in the midterm elections on Election Day in Detroit, Michigan

The president claimed that he simply “didn’t like the [Republican] candidates” who appeared on the ballot.

Democrats made gains among moderate voters, particularly in key Senate contests where they captured seats previously held by Republicans.

About two-thirds of moderates backed the Democratic candidate in their local US House race, up from roughly six in 10 moderate voters who supported Kamala Harris.

Around eight in 10 moderate voters said Congress was not doing enough to act as a check on the presidency.

A similarly large proportion said inflation had caused them at least “moderate” financial hardship during the previous year.

More to follow.