Hundreds of thousands of people marched across France on Thursday in the biggest day yet of a protest wave over wages, prices and budget cuts. France’s Interior Ministry counted 575,000 protesters nationwide. The CGT union, one of the organizers, said 1.6 million, Al Jazeera reported.
Last month, President Trump warned that America would burn like France if Democrats won the midterms. Democrats did win. But what’s driving France’s streets has little to do with which party runs Congress.
Why are people protesting in France?
Mostly the cost of living. Demonstrators want a higher minimum wage, raises for all workers, changes to the tax system and better conditions in schools. “My basket of 20 items has become too expensive,” Lea, a 31-year-old social worker in Marseille, told AFP. “We want cheaper groceries, cheaper petrol.” The movement started in September with students protesting poor conditions in public schools, then grew into broader anger, and the government admitted police “lost control” during rioting on Oct. 17, ABC News reported.
“The government tried to block the demonstrations. The demonstrations are bigger than ever,” said CGT leader Sophie Binet.
Was Thursday’s protest violent?
Mostly peaceful, with clashes in some cities. Police fired tear gas in Paris and Lyon, 642 people were arrested by the Interior Ministry’s final count, 53 officers were hurt, with 70,000 police deployed nationwide. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe closed for the day. President Emmanuel Macron called the concerns “legitimate” but added, “Demonstrating is a right. Destroying never will be.”
What happens next in France?
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is set to meet unions and employer groups on Monday, Nov. 9, to discuss wages and living costs. Students and unions called another march in central Paris for Saturday, Nov. 7. The government has already promised to cancel 836 planned job cuts in public high schools and add 500 teaching jobs. France’s presidential election is about six months away, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen is leading the polls.
The BeezLoop Take
Trump used France as a warning about what Democrats would bring. The French are actually marching over groceries, gas, wages and a budget that cuts schools, under a centrist government. That’s the same squeeze American voters just described at the polls.
The real lesson for Washington isn’t about which party wins. It’s that people who can’t afford their lives eventually fill the streets or flip the ballot. Americans did the second one on Tuesday.
The open question: will Monday’s talks bring real raises, or does this run all the way to France’s presidential election?
More on BeezLoop: the U.S. jobs report and what it means for your wallet.
Sources: Al Jazeera · ABC News · FRANCE 24 (video)
