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On the 5th, large-scale protests and demonstrations took place across France demanding higher wages and more funding for public services. Five trade unions also joined, bringing the total number of participants to more than 600,000 people, according to the Interior Ministry.
The left-wing French Confederation of Labor (CGT) said a total of 1.57 million people took part in the protests. In addition to Paris, there were large-scale protests in Marseille, Bordeaux, and Lille, making it the largest protest since 2023, surpassing the October 17 protests (550,000 people according to the Interior Ministry and 800,000 people according to trade unions).
France has been experiencing a wave of protests since September. The protests that began among young people over the poor conditions and lack of funding at lycées (high schools) have spread to universities and workers, leading to a resurgence of the ``yellow vest'' movement to protest soaring prices.
The union has vowed to take its coordinated action against the government to the "next stage." CGT head Sophie Binet said: ``The only way to stop this mobilization is to comply with our demands.''
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on the evening of the 5th that he would hold talks with labor unions and employer organizations on the 9th. The aim is to "answer questions about purchasing power and wages" for the public.
Government statistics show that an estimated 9.89% of civil servants participated in the protests on that day in the form of strikes.
There were also reports of disruptions in schools, hospitals, and public transportation. The Eiffel Tower in Paris and some exhibition rooms at the Louvre Museum have been closed.
The Ministry of Education announced that 16% of teachers also took part in the strike that day. According to the union, more than one in four high schools attended by 15- to 18-year-olds and the majority of universities were affected.
Oil refinery workers were also asked to halt production. With nuclear power plants also shut down, France is expected to import more electricity than it produces domestically that day.
The Yellow Vest movement has called for protests and blockades on the 6th and 7th.
Image copyrightPhilippe LOPEZ / AFP via Getty Images
Conflicts and turmoil
There were also reports of clashes and unrest in several cities on the 5th.
Hundreds of activists from the far-left group Black Bloc clashed with police and set cars on fire near the Gallieny Bridge over the Rhône River in Lyon.
In the northwestern city of Rennes, authorities said a "hostile masked group" had gathered in front of a union march. In the southwestern city of Bordeaux, tear gas was used to clear people from a square. A teenager was injured in a stabbing involving students during a high school lockdown in Seine-Saint-Denis, just north of Paris.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 70,000 police would be deployed for the day and that any violence would be met with a "very firm response".
However, the unrest that day was not as bad as the large-scale protests that occurred on October 17th. More than 2,000 stores were looted that day, and historic buildings were burned.
Protesters' demands
A coalition of public and private sector unions is calling for the minimum wage to be raised from the current 12.31 euros (approximately 2,175 yen) per hour.
Marilies Leon, head of the moderate French Federation of Democratic Labor (CFDT), said it's not just the minimum wage that needs to be raised. ``We are looking for an increase in income of 100 euros a month.''
Public anger is also growing over soaring fuel prices. The government is releasing 10 million barrels of diesel fuel from strategic stockpiles in a bid to lower fuel prices.
Ministers have promised to reform Parcoursup, a university entrance selection platform that has been a source of dissatisfaction among high school students. The company plans to introduce an alternative platform by 2028.
The government says it has little capacity to take measures to increase people's purchasing power or raise wages. This comes as the government aims to save tens of billions of euros by reducing the budget deficit to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP).
(English article French protests see numbers surge as unions join strikes over high cost of living)
