6 hours ago

French trade unions are organizing mass marches and a public-sector strike on Thursday

Raluca Ioana Draghici

5 November 2026, 08:37

International

shutterstock.com

Always see our news on Google

France is preparing for large-scale marches and a strike by public-sector workers, scheduled for Thursday in several cities, amid protests over the cost of living and the deterioration of public services and education. The unions, supported by student groups, have warned that the demonstrations will disrupt public and rail transportation.

Intelligence services estimate that between 500,000 and 700,000 people could take part in the protests organized outside Paris. More than 70,000 police officers will be deployed nationwide, as authorities fear a resurgence of the violence and looting that took place on October 17.

The energy sector is also expected to be affected. EDF expects its employees to participate, after an earlier strike reduced electricity production and the capacity of France’s largest liquefied natural gas terminal, in Dunkirk.

The Education Ministry estimates that 17.5% of primary school teachers could go on strike. The movement, which began with protests by high school students, has expanded into an anti-government challenge, putting pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s minority government. He convened a meeting on defense and security, while the executive says it wants to avoid a repeat of the violence.

Context: Protests in France have escalated from student protests to clashes with law enforcement and an increasingly extensive mobilization of the authorities

The movement began in mid-September as protests in high schools in the poor suburbs of Paris, amid a lack of teachers and precarious conditions in schools, and then brought together pupils, students, trade unions, and members of the “Yellow Vests.” On October 17, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in protest across France, while in Paris 61 people had been detained by 11:00 a.m., after two undeclared marches were also dispersed.

Subsequently, the demonstrations continued with episodes of violence: amid concerns about “new violence,” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warned of the risks after more than 900 police officers had been injured since the beginning, while the authorities announced restrictions and bans in strategic areas, including the Champs-Élysées and railway stations, as well as measures against the use of bottles or canisters containing petrol or gas.

Before another weekend of demonstrations, the French government also announced preparations for an organized response: a massive mobilization of law enforcement forces and talks with trade unions to “guarantee the right to protest,” against the backdrop of previous demonstrations involving clashes, looting, and arson, while Parliament decided to launch an inquiry into the riots, including possible shortcomings in the intelligence services.