France is deploying 70,000 police officers ahead of demonstrations expected to draw as many as 700,000 people. (Foto: Instagram)
France is deploying 70,000 police officers nationwide to manage demonstrations expected to draw as many as 700,000 people opposing the government of President Emmanuel Macron. The protests are scheduled for Thursday, as the country approaches a presidential election expected in five months.
Unions, including the left-wing CGT, called for the mobilization, which is also backed by student groups. Sophie Binet, a CGT leader, urged people to take part, telling broadcaster LCI, “We need to turn out in large numbers in the streets today.” The demonstrations are expected to include high school and university students, union members, and activists.
The Education Ministry said 17.5% of public elementary school teachers are expected to join the strike. Unions have also warned of possible disruptions to rail service and public transportation. Protesters’ stated concerns include the rising cost of living, public services, social inequality, and deteriorating conditions in schools. Some participants have also criticized restrictions on the right to protest and called for stronger protections for civil liberties following earlier clashes with police.
Authorities expect about 150 demonstrations across the country and are concerned about further violence after recent protests involved confrontations, looting, and fires. A demonstration on Oct. 17 was marked by clashes with police, looting at businesses, and fires in public buildings. The following week’s protests were calmer. France’s Interior Ministry said 410,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris.
In the capital, security concerns led the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court, to change the route planned for the main demonstration. French law prohibits concealing one’s face at protests when unrest is occurring or there are grounds to believe it could occur. The Interior Ministry has also warned against carrying weapons or objects that could be used as weapons, including when they are part of a costume. Officials are seeking to ease tensions after unrest and looting caught security forces off guard and damaged shops and public buildings across the country.
