In brief
As France prepares for fresh protests over living costs and public services, President Emmanuel Macron is tackling the risk of a repeat of last month’s violent unrest by convening a security meeting and deploying 70,000 police across the country.
On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron convened a defence and security meeting ahead of the scheduled protests, aiming to avoid a repeat of the violent unrest that erupted on 17 October, when crowds damaged shops and public buildings across the country.
France will deploy around 70,000 police nationwide, sources said, to curb potential violence as hundreds of thousands are expected to march in cities and towns that could see significant street demonstrations.
Trade unions, including the left‑wing CGT and several student groups, have called for a nationwide mobilisation. The domestic intelligence service forecasts that between 500,000 and 700,000 people may gather outside Paris, a figure that remains unconfirmed.
The Education Ministry noted that 17.5 % of primary school teachers are anticipated to strike, while unions warned that disruptions to rail and public transport services are likely.
CGT head Sophie Binet told LCI TV,
“We need to turn up in big numbers on the streets today.”
Student representative Irma de Banville, 19, said
“We’re trying to keep mobilising as much as possible. Some people aren’t doing so because they’re afraid. A lot of people are afraid of police violence.”
Macron’s security briefing underscored a desire to restore “the river that overflowed back into its bed” and to launch the presidential election in calm conditions, an official close to the president said.
The protests have a clear focus on living costs, public services and education, with demonstrators expressing concern over the rising cost of living and uncertainty about their futures.
France’s nuclear output already fell by 2.4 gigawatts early on Thursday due to the strike‑related disruptions, adding economic stakes to the unfolding situation.
Following the October 17 riots, authorities criticized Macron’s handling of the crisis, with police officers reporting being ill‑prepared for the sudden outbreak of violence, which left at least 45 people injured.
The French government maintains that it will investigate any alleged police abuses while assuring that crowd control measures are necessary for public safety.
