Three days before a new day of mobilization of yellow vests and young people, the unions left Matignon disappointed on Wednesday where, according to CGT leader Sophie Binet, Sébastien Lecornu announced “no measures” to respond to the multiple protests. There was “no consideration of our demands”, affirmed Sophie Binet, at the end of a 2.5 hour meeting in Matignon.
The CGT, which had supported the day of October 17 which degenerated into riots and looting in several cities, will again be present in the streets on Saturday, "to support" and "protect" those who wish to demonstrate during "Act II" of the mobilization on the cost of living announced by a coordination of yellow vests. For the unions, the central objective remains the mobilization launched by almost all of them for private and public employees for November 5. “The time has come to take a new step in mobilization, the strike must take over” from this date, according to Sophie Binet.
Until then, “it is imperative that there are social responses to these expectations of all workers who have been waiting for (...) many years,” added the general secretary of the CFDT, Marylise Léon. Since Qatar, Emmanuel Macron has not made any announcements on the numerous demands made by unions and demonstrators (purchasing power, salaries, tax justice, public services, resources for schools and universities, etc.). The president, on the other hand, called for “firmness” towards the perpetrators of the violence and convened a meeting on Thursday with the intelligence services on the failures of October 17.
The law enforcement strategy has been questioned for several weeks. The Defender of Rights (DDD), responsible in particular for ensuring compliance with ethics by the police, announced on Tuesday that it had received 46 referrals since the start of the high school movement, of which “more than ten” concern facts dating from the weekend. Political figures from all sides once again denounced on Wednesday what they perceive as a failure of power. Former head of state François Hollande attacked a “weak” government and an “absent” president, while Horizons presidential candidate Edouard Philippe criticized the continuation of Emmanuel Macron's trip to the Gulf.
Emmanuel Macron “takes full responsibility for having maintained” this trip and assured that the French would have, thanks to this tour, a “fair return” on the prices of diesel in particular. The favorite of the polls Marine Le Pen (RN) attacked “a dying power” which “no longer has control”. The executive is still looking for a way out of the crisis, determined first to restore order.
The night from Tuesday to Wednesday was “calm”, according to the Prime Minister, after the establishment of several curfews for a second consecutive night, as in the hyper-center of Marseille since 10 p.m. Tuesday and at least until Friday inclusive. In Toulouse, a nighttime curfew is planned from Thursday to Sunday in the city center. In Matignon, the unions deplored that the high school and student organizations, which requested almost two weeks ago to be received by Sébastien Lecornu, were not invited to the meeting.
These organizations should again be received on Monday by the Minister of Education, who promised to present initial measures to respond to the grievances expressed on the platform launched a few weeks ago by the government. High school students have been mobilized for several weeks, with the support of students, in particular for resources for high schools, for school buildings and to review Parcoursup.
The head of government also promised that Parliament could “take hold” of these measures in the budgetary debate. Sébastien Lecornu must also receive the political parties on Thursday, to return to the “difficulties encountered” on October 17 and address “the security” of the presidential campaign, demanding from his interlocutors “the condemnation of violence”, according to a letter to the parties.
Of the 557 people in police custody after the violence and looting committed in Paris, 300 people have "appeared" so far "before a magistrate" and none have "claimed a motive of any political nature", noted Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau on Tuesday evening, while the government accuses the "ultra-left" of the violence.
After the violence and looting of October 17, the important security system for the new day of social mobilization on Saturday provides for bans on demonstrations, the use of armored vehicles, soldiers from the Sentinel force and elite police and gendarmerie units, according to the Ministry of the Interior. A representative of the coordination of the yellow vests of October 17 indicated that they had filed a declaration to demonstrate on Saturday in Paris, from Bastille, with the intention of obtaining a meeting at the Élysée.
