Protests Erupt Across France Over Rising Living Costs
PARIS (AP) – On Saturday, demonstrators throughout France took to the streets, protesting against increasing living expenses. Their actions coincided with high school students who have raised concerns about educational conditions. This follows over three weeks of school blockades.
The mobilization on Saturday was inspired by social media calls to rejuvenate the yellow vest movement, which originally arose in 2018 in response to social inequality. Student groups, who have been protesting since mid-September, encouraged supporters to join their cause.
The CGT, one of the prominent labor unions in France, supports these protests. They are advocating for “higher wages and pensions, lower prices, and the safeguarding of public services that cater to people’s needs.”
President Emmanuel Macron issued a call for calm on Friday, urging respect for individuals and property amidst warnings of possible violence during the protests.
Macron emphasized, “There is a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself, and I have always been vigilant to ensure that right is respected.” However, he added that it comes with responsibilities, specifically the need to show respect for people and property, and the importance of not engaging in destruction. He also criticized the potential involvement of individuals solely looking to create chaos.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez indicated that there would be hundreds of protests and over 80 marches planned across the country, including spontaneous gatherings and demonstrations. In Paris, a march was set to commence in the early afternoon at Republic Plaza, located northeast of the city center.
Some proposed gatherings in central Paris faced police bans on Saturday. As a precaution, many Metro stations around key areas, including the Champs-Elysees and places near the presidential palace, parliament, and government offices, were closed based on police requests.
Recent weeks have been marked by thousands of arrests, numerous injuries, and incidents of school vandalism as the new academic year sparked national student protests, which are impacting the upcoming presidential election and capturing global attention.
Some protesters have pointed to serious injuries sustained by teenagers, which they blame on police riot-control equipment. Following one incident where a 15-year-old lost a hand, Nuñez announced a suspension on the use of a specific type of police stun grenade against young demonstrators.
On Tuesday, prominent climate and social justice activist Greta Thunberg visited a high school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, joining the students in their protests.
