Tens of thousands of people are expected to demonstrate across France on Saturday, as students, trade unionists and activists from the Yellow Vest movement join forces to demonstrate against the high cost of living and poor conditions in schools.
Issued on:
High school students began protests in September on the outskirts of Paris over teacher absences and shabby facilities.
Their action morphed into a nationwide movement against social inequality.
High school union representatives said they were disappointed with the lack of response after their meeting with French Education Minister Édouard Geffray on Thursday evening – the third such meeting since the movement began last month.
"We walked out of the meeting because we weren't being heard," said Marius Mesnil, of the Union syndicale lycéenne (USL, High School Student Union).
"We’ve been told there will be another meeting on Monday, but we will not be attending."
The USL announced that it intends to engage directly with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office, rather than with the Ministry of Education.
The union Les Lycéens! (High School Students) has taken a similar stance and, alongside the USL, called on pupils to join in protests alongside other dissatisfied groups.
Authorities expect up to 140,000
Authorities say between 70,000 and 140,000 people could demonstrate across France on Saturday.
They are expected to set up traffic-filtering roadblocks – a ploy used widely during the 2018–2019 Yellow Vest movement which turned from an initial protest against taxes on diesel into an outpouring of anger at high living costs and income inequality.
"I was a Yellow Vest protester when petrol cost €1.40 a litre, so imagine how I feel now that it's €2.20," said Myrtil Devillers.
"The justice system is complaining. The education system is complaining. The healthcare sector is complaining. My friends who run businesses are complaining."
Blockades of railway stations, bridges, toll booths and petrol stations are also expected.
Violent protests
Lecornu has said the protests have been among the most violent in decades, with more than 900 police injured since the start of the protests. The police have also drawn criticism for their response.
The internal police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen cases of alleged police violence. Security chiefs suspended the use of stun grenades for the student demonstrations, although Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told the TV programme Télématin on Friday that they could be used in Saturday's protests.
"This is a moment of fatigue in the country," Lecornu said. "We are in an atmosphere of perma-crisis: wars, inflation, and issues surrounding purchasing power."
Macron calls for calm
French President Emmanuel Macron called for calm during a visit to the Belgian capital Brussels on Friday.
"The right to demonstrate must be accompanied by respect without insulting people or smashing things up," said Macron.
Opposition chief Jordan Bardella, of the far-right National Rally, said during a visit to the Paris car show: "I'm extremely concerned. It will be a day of chaos for France."
La France Insoumise's, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said he welcomed the day of action.
"It will be an important moment in which the acute frustration felt by very many sections of society, particularly the current movement among young university and secondary school students, will be expressed," said Mélenchon on social media.
Marine Tondelier, leader of the Greens, and Fabien Roussel, head of the Communist Party, are also expected to take part in the demonstrations.