Protesters in France rally over living costs and education

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 10:32 · Archive

Protesters across France demonstrated on Saturday against rising living costs, joining high school students protesting education conditions.

Protesters across France called for demonstrations on Saturday against rising living costs, joining high school students who have staged school blockades for more than three weeks over education conditions. The mobilisation followed social media calls to revive the yellow vest movement, which emerged in 2018 against social injustice.

The CGT, one of France's major labour unions, backed the protests, calling for 'higher wages and pensions, lower prices and the protection of public services that meet people's needs'. President Emmanuel Macron appealed Friday for calm and respect for people and property as officials warned of possible violence. Macron said there was 'a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself', but emphasised that this right 'comes with the need to respect. Respect for people, respect for property'.

The Interior Minister said hundreds of protest actions and more than 80 marches were expected nationwide, including spontaneous gatherings, street demonstrations and blockades. In Paris, a march was set to begin in the early afternoon at Republic Plaza, northeast of the city centre. Police banned some other proposed gatherings in central Paris and closed many Metro stations on Saturday at police request, including those around the Champs-Élysées and near the presidential palace, parliament and government offices.

In recent weeks, France has seen thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries and schools set on fire as student protests have escalated, influencing the country's presidential election campaign and drawing international attention.

How it is being reported

• Protesters across France rally over rising living costs, joining students' grievancesProtesters across France have called for demonstrations against rising living costs, joining high school students demanding better education conditions.News4Jax · 17 Oct, 10:18
• Protesters across France rally over rising living costs, joining students' grievancesProtesters across France have called for demonstrations against rising living costs, joining high school students demanding better education conditions.Clickorlando · 17 Oct, 10:18

In this story: France · Emmanuel Macron · CGT · Laurent Nuñez · Paris · Brussels

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