France nationwide protests cost of living and youth mobilisation November 7, Digi Mart USA News (France): Demonstrations against the high cost of living took place across France on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets to voice anger and keep up pressure ahead of meetings with the government on Monday. The turnout was lower than in recent days, but the movement remained visible throughout the country.
It was the fourth consecutive Saturday of mobilisation and the second day of marches this week, following large nationwide protests on Thursday called by trade unions. The Paris police prefecture counted 46,000 people in the Paris march in the middle of the afternoon, compared with 65,000 on Thursday.
The youth intersyndicale estimated attendance at 75,000 in Paris and 250,000 across France on Saturday, compared with 200,000 in Paris and 500,000 nationwide a week earlier. The marches were largely calm and at times festive, although clashes with police broke out in Lyon, where the protest was not declared or was banned, and at the end of a demonstration in Paris.
Vincent Gautheron, general secretary of the CGT regional union, said the mobilisation should not end simply because negotiations are set to begin Monday at Matignon with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Sabrine Kharbach, spokesperson for the Union étudiante, said the date was meant to maintain pressure.
In Bordeaux, the prefecture counted more than 9,000 people and unions reported at least 40,000, marking another strong turnout. Stéphane Obé, general secretary of the CGT departmental union, said the anger was not fading.
After a calm march between Place de la Bourse and Place de la Victoire, violent groups sought confrontation with police, and the Gironde prefecture reported 15 arrests by 6:30 p.m.
In Charente-Maritime, nearly a thousand protesters took part in banned gatherings, mainly in La Rochelle, where the prefecture estimated about 900 people at the peak of an unregistered march. Smaller turnouts were reported in Rochefort and Saintes, while Dordogne saw about forty people in Bergerac and no demonstration in Périgueux.
In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, between 1,200 according to police and nearly 2,000 by a Sud Ouest estimate marched through Bayonne demanding measures to boost purchasing power and resources for education. The march was not declared to prefecture services but passed off calmly.
In Pau, 500 protesters marched two days after a march that drew 6,000 people, and organisers promised to return next Saturday and beyond if needed.
The movement’s next steps will depend largely on the government’s responses at Monday’s meetings. The eight main national unions have said they will take a position as early as Monday evening.
An education intersyndicale has already called for a strike day and demonstration on Tuesday.
