November 5 France mobilization crowd estimates, Digi Mart USA News (France): CGT leader Sophie Binet had said earlier in the day that Thursday, November 5, would be a major success. According to her union’s calculations, the day of mobilization drew nearly 1.6 million protesters across France, including 350,000 in Paris.
The Interior Ministry, however, counted 575,000 protesters nationwide, including 65,000 in the capital. In the vast majority of cases, the marches proceeded in a good-natured atmosphere, closely supervised by the 70,000 members of law enforcement deployed.
In several cities, the mobilizations were marked by tensions. In Lyon, estimates ranged from 30,500 people according to the Interior Ministry to 55,000 according to the CGT.
In Rennes, estimates ranged from 20,600 to 35,000 people.
Meanwhile, nearly 1,000 high schools were blocked or administratively closed, and one-third of higher education institutions were reported as “disrupted.” Hundreds of thousands of employees, civil servants, students, high school pupils and retirees took to the streets across France to demand higher purchasing power.
