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France is bracing for its fourth weekend of mass demonstrations, as student protests over cost of living and the state of the country’s schools show no sign of abating.
On Saturday afternoon, authorities say students and labor unions will take part in an authorized central Paris march “against the high cost of living and in support of young people.”
Separately, the country’s so-called “Yellow Vest” movement — which gained notoriety eight years ago by violently protesting a proposed fuel tax hike — has rejected invitations to join the student rally.
Instead, the Gilets Jaunes are calling for “mass disobedience” at a banned event at Paris’ Place de la Concorde, close to parliament and the presidential Elysee Palace.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 70,000 police and security forces will be deployed across the country over the weekend, adding that authorities will “be ready” for “rioters and looters.”
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Can France afford to raise wages, invest in schools?
The large police presence comes on the heels of weeks of mass demonstrations that have at times grown extremely violent, most notably on October 17, when France’s worst rioting in years resulted in more than a billion euros in damage to private and public property.
On Thursday, police made over 600 arrests during a nationwide strike that included blockades and other protest action.
Authorities say that, for the most part, protests have remained peaceful.
But there have continued to be numerous incidents of violent clashes with police, as outgoing President Emmanuel Macron and his government struggle to address public discontent over the rising cost of living.
Although Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is scheduled to meet with trade and employee unions on Monday, organizers say the only thing that will quell anger will be for the government to bow to their demands.
“The only thing that will bring the protests to an end is a response to the demands that have been put forward for several weeks by workers, civil servants, young people and pensioners,” according to an inter-union coalition statement published on Friday.
This latest round of protests began with students calling for improvements to the national education system and unions joining in to call for wage hikes and tax reforms.
Macron’s government has said it intends to raise the minimum wage as well as increase funding for schools and teaching staff. But it finds itself in a tight fiscal spot as debt — currently 119% of GDP — continues to run out of control in the EU’s second-largest economy.
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