Employees and public officials protested again for their wages, but young people and pensioners also joined the demonstrations. According to figures provided by the CGT union, organizer of the mobilization, there were a total of 1.6 million demonstrators, 350,000 in Paris alone.
It was another day of strikes in France, where, according to the figures provided by the CGT union, organizer of today's mobilization against the high cost of living and for the increase in wages, there were 1.6 million demonstrators, 350,000 in Paris alone. In the afternoon, the Ministry of the Interior gave its figures and spoke of around 600,000 demonstrators. In both cases, it is the most important mobilization of the autumn in France. Alert for this evening, for possible clashes after the dissolution of the demonstrations.
Strikes in France
The general secretary of the Confédération générale du travail (CGT), Sophie Binet, said that around 260 demonstrations were organized across France. The day was defined by the authorities as "Black Thursday" and, to maintain security, 70,000 police and gendarmes were mobilized. Severe inconveniences have been recorded since the morning on public transport, starting with trains and subways.
See also
The general strike in France
French high schools blocked
The French government has announced that around 2.2% of French high schools have been "blocked" by students, for a total of 81 out of 3,700 high schools. The high school trade union instead spoke of 1,000 high schools "not at work", including those blocked by students and those closed for administrative reasons. The Ministry of National Education announced that almost 16% of teachers chose to join the strike and approximately 33% of higher education institutions (60 out of 184) were affected by disruption.
Read also
France, students protest despite the ban
Episodes of violence, fires in high schools
During the mobilization, clashes and episodes of violence and vandalism occurred. A school fire has been set in Rennes. Firecrackers were thrown at police forces in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, in Savigny-le-Temple (Seine-et-Marne) and at the Brossolette high school in Villeurbanne (Rhone). The Françoise high school in Tournefeuille, near Toulouse, was on fire: the flames also destroyed some computers. According to the reconstruction, some individuals entered the institute and then launched fireworks from inside using special mortars. Part of the building went up in flames, despite the timely intervention of the firefighters. The vice-president of the Regional Council, Kamel Chibli, denounced "inadmissible acts" and urged everyone to "condemn them with the utmost firmness" then asking for "exceptional measures and sanctions commensurate with the gravity of the facts". Furthermore, an eighteen-year-old stabbed a peer who was setting fire to bins outside the Denis Papin de La Courneuve high school, in the Seine-Saint-Denis, Northern suburbs of Paris. According to Bfm TV, the victim was injured in the chest but not particularly seriously. The circumstances and reasons for the attack remain to be ascertained, the authorities say.
Minister of Education on fires: "Scandalous"
The Minister of Education, Édouard Geffray, commented on what happened in some schools, in particular he defined the behavior of those who set fire to the high school near Toulouse as "absolutely scandalous criminal behavior", endangering students and staff. "I express my closeness to the principal, the staff, the students and their families. I thank the firefighters and the police for their intervention, which allowed the damage to be limited", he added. "This arson could have had dramatic consequences for people. I condemn it in the strongest terms and I invite everyone to condemn it without any ambiguity: no claim can serve as an excuse or cover for criminals. Those responsible will answer to justice", he underlined.
Tensions in Lyon and Nantes, buildings evacuated in Lille
Tensions were also recorded in Lyon, where several hundred individuals formed a "black bloc", kept under control by the police. In Nantes, the first incidents were reported during the dispersion of the procession. While the Prefecture of the Hauts-de-France region and the Nord department announced that following the fire of some rubbish bins near a gas main, in front of the César Baggio high school in Lille, there was a significant gas leak. The inhabitants of the nearby buildings were evacuated and a security perimeter was set up.
Why people are going on strike in France
Unions have called on public and private sector workers to strike over wage demands. This first appeal - the first after the resumption of autumn activities to involve both the public and private sectors - was also supported by high school and university students, who continue the mobilization started in mid-September; the "yellow vests", who have resumed protests against the high cost of living for three Saturdays; and, among others, the farmers of the "Confédération paysanne".
See also
France, students and yellow vests in the squares. Over 1,300 arrested
