France Brings Forward Minimum-Wage Rise as Protests Continue

The protests bring together demands over household budgets and public education. Workers want higher wages and action on living costs, while students and teachers are pressing for better school conditions and more education spending.

According to France24, student protests over deteriorating school conditions, teacher shortages and pressure on the education system helped fuel the wider movement. Tehran Times reported that the current wave of unrest began in September.

On November 5, teachers, transport employees and other union workers joined a general strike and nationwide demonstrations. CBS Top Stories reported that police used tear gas to clear protesters. Government estimates put participation at about 575,000, the largest day of demonstrations since the September unrest began, according to Tehran Times.

Ahead of another round of protests on November 7, France deployed 70,000 security personnel. Unions and student groups planned demonstrations, while the Yellow Vests planned a separate gathering in central Paris despite an official ban, Times of India reported.

Saturday brought a sharp fall in participation. Le Monde reported an Interior Ministry count of 146,000 nationwide, against 250,000 claimed by the youth union coalition. Franceinfo said turnout was lower than both Thursday's demonstrations and the three previous Saturdays.

The Interior Ministry described the national situation on Saturday afternoon as broadly calm and controlled, according to Le Monde. But clashes broke out in Paris, where Yellow Vests defied the rally ban and arrests followed, Al Jazeera reported.

Reporting on November 8, Sankei News said clashes had also occurred in Toulouse and Marseille. The outlet cited the Interior Ministry as saying 360 people had been detained.

The movement has continued through four consecutive weekends, but its latest mobilisation was substantially smaller. The main Saturday attendance estimates differ: authorities counted 146,000 and youth organisers claimed 250,000, according to Franceinfo. Analitika separately reported about 270,000 participants, a figure that conflicts with those counts.

Education remains a focus of the protests. On November 9, Press TV reported that hundreds gathered outside Saint-Denis Town Hall in support of students and staff protesting police and administrative repression.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was scheduled to receive unions, employers and students on Monday, November 9, according to Perfil.com. The supplied coverage does not report an outcome from those talks.

The next announced mobilisation is Tuesday, November 10. Teachers, lycée students and university students across France are being called to strike and demonstrate, with a major Paris protest expected, The Local reported.