November 5 France nationwide strike and protest marches, Digi Mart USA News (France): Protest marches took place across France on Thursday, November 5, 2026, as part of a nationwide day of mobilization announced in early October. According to the publisher’s reporting, the demonstrations followed several weeks of student protests and three Saturdays of action against the high cost of living.
In Douai, in northern France, a union delegate for the CGT estimated the crowd at between 1,000 and 1,200 people, saying it was about a third larger than the October 17 demonstration. Marchers included high school students, temporary workers, students, teachers, retirees, public-sector employees, railway workers, factory workers and some private-sector employees.
Slogans echoed national demands, including protecting public services, wages and purchasing power.
In Limoges, in the Haute-Vienne department, the CGT local union put the turnout at around 17,000 people. Participants cited rising fuel costs and strained public services, including hospitals.
The route avoided the town hall, whose bell tower and part of its roof were damaged by fire during the October 17 demonstration.
Organizers said about 1.6 million people took part across France, while the authorities put the figure at 600,000. The publisher reports that most marches were calm, though police in Paris reported property damage along the route by masked individuals.
In Tournefeuille, near Toulouse, students at a high school were evacuated after a fire in the school’s administrative offices. Interior authorities had announced a deployment of 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide.
Participants also debated the future of the movement. Some protesters described fatigue after two months of mobilization, while others said they would keep marching, with one saying she would continue “until the presidential election if necessary.” Union members in some workplaces called for blockades in factories to widen the movement, and firefighters in Paris said they had been on strike for more than three months.
Several participants said the day’s activity had financial costs. One teacher said the protests had cost her 80 euros in lost pay that day, and a railway union representative said multiple strike days would weigh on household budgets.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that a “social conference” with unions and employers would be held Monday at Matignon to address purchasing power and wage questions. Unions are calling, among other measures, for a significant increase in the minimum wage (SMIC).
