Hundreds of Thousands Join France's Largest Protest Day in Weeks Over Wages and Services

France recorded its largest day of protests in the current wave of unrest on 5 November. The Interior Ministry estimated that 575,000 people took part in nearly 200 demonstrations across the country. The CGT union put the figure at nearly 1.6 million. Either number exceeds the turnout on 17 October, when an earlier day of action caught security forces off guard and led to clashes and looting.

Five major unions called the national day of strikes and marches. They were joined by high-school and university students. Demands included higher wages, an increase in the minimum wage, more funding for public services, and better conditions in schools. The CGT called for an immediate 10 percent rise in the minimum wage. The CFDT sought a 100-euro net monthly increase. Student groups asked for more than $10 billion in additional education spending, infrastructure investment, and 250,000 new university places.

The government deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes. By 6 p.m., authorities reported 448 arrests and 53 officers injured. Riot police used tear gas in Lyon, Bordeaux and outside a Paris high school. Overall, officials described the day as largely peaceful. The education ministry said 16 percent of teachers struck and that about 13 percent of school staff participated. Unions reported disruption at more than one in four lycées and at roughly one-third of higher-education sites. The government listed 81 high schools as affected; student associations said the number was closer to 1,000.

Public transport saw limited disruption. SNCF reported slightly disrupted TGV service and more significant effects on regional trains. RATP metro stations in central Paris closed in the afternoon. The Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe were shut. A revived yellow-vest movement has called for further blockades on 6 and 7 November and has staged weekly demonstrations since mid-October. Some unions and housing groups have proposed pan-European actions from 20 to 22 November.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a conference with unions and employers on 9 November to discuss purchasing power and wages. The government has so far resisted broad cost-of-living measures while trying to keep the budget deficit under control. Household confidence fell in October to its lowest level since June 2013. The protests arrive six months before the presidential election in which Emmanuel Macron cannot run again. Far-right parties currently lead in polling.

The 5 November action marked a shift from earlier student-led blockades to a broader union-backed strike. Sophie Binet of the CGT said the movement had reached a new level. Police prevented students from setting up barricades with bins outside several Paris high schools in the morning. In Marseille, thousands marched from Les Réformés toward Place Castellane. In Nantes, organizers estimated 30,000 participants. The day closed with scattered clashes but no repeat of the widespread disorder seen on 17 October.

Further actions are scheduled for the weekend. The yellow-vest network has maintained weekly demonstrations for four consecutive weekends. Whether the union strike produces lasting pressure on the wage and budget debate will depend on participation in the coming days and on the outcome of the 9 November conference.