Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez asked prefects and security officials “not to let down their guard” in the face of possible violence on the sidelines of the high school and student demonstration this Tuesday, according to a telegram consulted by AFP.
“A new act of this mobilization is planned (...) with once again the risk of seeing several unauthorized processions likely to seek confrontation with the police and go to city centers,” he writes.
“Also, I ask you not to let your guard down in the face of more fragmented or even sporadic phenomena whose level of violence does not decrease in intensity,” adds the minister.
In this letter, dated Monday, the minister recalls that “numerous” violence punctuated the mobilization of November 5 “while the youth protest movement continues, maintained by a hard core of diehards”.
“For the past month, the days of October 17, then 24 and 31, but also November 5 and 7 have seen, in many cities across the national territory, massive groups of individuals, extremely mobile, attack places of power, loot numerous businesses and attack the police,” underlines the minister.
The general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, strongly criticized this Tuesday on franceinfo the increase in the minimum wage announced by the government, denouncing an “Operation Yellow Coins”. According to the trade unionist, the state's boost is limited to "5 to 8 euros", an increase which is "not commensurate with the explosion in the cost of living and needs".
She thus evokes “millions of workers caught by the throat” and calls for a new day of inter-union mobilization on November 17, particularly in the public service, believing that “negotiations only involve a balance of power”. Sophie Binet also warned about the French industrial situation: “Our industrial fabric is doing very badly.” She denounces “a total lack of strategy” from the government in the face of business closures and their shareholders.
The campus of Rennes 2 University, where the police intervened on Monday evening to lift a blockade, remained closed on Tuesday in a context of “great tension”, announced the presidency of the faculty, a hotbed of student protest.
Monday evening, the university presidency called on the police “to put an end to the occupation of the buildings on the Villejean campus”, northwest of Rennes, which had started in the afternoon.
The intervention was carried out “calmly” and “without incident”, and the buildings could be “evacuated and closed”, affirms the university.
However, later on Monday evening, the buildings were again breached and occupied. A hundred “very determined” people broke into an amphitheater, underlines the presidency of Rennes 2.
An AFP journalist present at the scene noted that around 300 student protesters were gathered on campus and that some of them broke down a door of a building to enter.
Tuesday morning, the presidency noted that the people who broke in Monday evening “had left the premises.”
In this context of “great tension”, the Rennes 2 campuses remain inaccessible on Tuesday and “no activity” can take place there, it is specified in the press release.
The secretary of the CFDT, Marylise Léon, judged this Tuesday on France 2, “insufficient” the increase in the minimum wage announced by the government, even if she considers that it is a “starting shot” for salary negotiations. “The CFDT asked for 100 euros, it was the electric shock that we asked for,” she recalled.
Marylise Léon wants to “empower employers” and is counting on “two weeks of last chance to conclude on salaries”. If the CFDT intends to favor negotiation, it does not exclude “possibly other actions”. The union representative also called for better supervision of public aid to businesses: “Each euro of public money must be subject to control and evaluation.” A meeting with the Minister of Public Accounts is planned for Tuesday.
To respond to social anger, the government announced yesterday an increase of 24 euros in the minimum wage from December 1, bringing it to 1,502 euros net. “It’s not enough,” assures National Rally (RN) deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy on Europe 1/CNEWS. Marine Le Pen’s party pleads for “lowering charges” and VAT. “Salaries must follow productivity,” defends the one who is in charge of economic issues within the Lepenist party. “The increase in the minimum wage will reduce wages, we are not against it, but we must tell people the truth, the sluggish economy,” he still argues. Before tackling the Insoumis party which proposes in its programmatic book, L'Avenir en commune, the minimum wage at 1700 euros: "I don't play Santa Claus like Jean-Luc Mélenchon".
The number 1 of the CGT, Sophie Binet, called on Monday “all employees, retirees, young people” to make November 17 a new major day of strike and demonstration, at the end of the social conference held in Matignon. She spoke of “crumbs” after the announcement this Monday of the increase in the minimum wage of 1.6% on December 1.
An inter-union in the public service had already called for mobilization and a strike next Tuesday to demand in particular salary increases, according to a press release released on Monday. “As long as wages do not increase, as long as we do not have a response to our demands, the mobilization will continue. Now, negotiations must open everywhere. They must lead to salary increases,” declared Sophie Binet. The Solidaires and FSU unions called to join this new day of mobilization.
The latest Odoxa security barometer for Le Figaro reveals that 79% of French people believe that the government was inadequate in the face of the riots. The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, himself drew the consequences of the security fiasco by immediately presenting his resignation to the President of the Republic, who refused it.
All political parties combined, our compatriots are almost unanimous in showing distrust (73% of LFI, 72% of PS, 80% of LR and 88% of RN). The rejection is such that even 45% of Renaissance sympathizers join the chorus of critics. Beyond the panting macronie, it is the very structure of power which is now faltering.
Demonstrations are planned in most major cities in France. In Paris, a procession will leave at 2 p.m. from the Pantheon towards Place d’Italie.
After the ban on its demonstration initially planned to leave the Bastille, Interfac Île-de-France, which presents itself as the general assembly of students from Ile-de-France faculties, decided to join this parade to “stand together”, according to one of its members, Coppélia Moreau.
This day is also part of a broader context of mobilization of the public service: an inter-union called on Monday for a strike on November 17 to demand in particular salary increases, while the CGT invited “all employees, retirees and young people” to mobilize.
An inter-union group bringing together youth organizations and teachers is calling for a new day of strike and demonstrations on Tuesday, while discussions with the executive are at an impasse almost two months after the start of the high school and student protest movement.
“We call on all those who support the legitimate demands of youth, but also those of workers, to be in the streets tomorrow,” launched Éloïse Lefebvre-Milon, co-general secretary of the Student Union, on Monday after a meeting in Matignon on the Parcoursup reform which came to an end.
The inter-union CGT, FSU, FO, Solidaires, High School Union, Unef, Student Union, Fage and FSE had called on Saturday for a new day of mobilization this Tuesday.
