Nationwide protests are set to begin in France on Saturday with students, trade unionists and remnants of the Yellow Vest movement expected to demonstrate against rising living costs amongst others.
The protests initially broke out last month in high schools in the poorer northern suburbs of Paris, where students complained about teacher absences and deteriorating facilities.
The movement has since expanded to reflect wider concerns over rising living costs, inadequate public services and declining living standards.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu acknowledged growing public frustration on Thursday, warning that authorities feared further unrest. “This is a moment of fatigue in the country,” Lecornu said.
“We are in an atmosphere of perma-crisis: wars, inflation, and issues surrounding purchasing power,” he added.
France is also facing pressure over its public finances, with investors selling French government debt and pushing borrowing costs to their highest levels in more than two decades.
The unrest comes amid mounting economic and political pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government and a deeply divided political landscape, as he approaches the final stretch of his presidency.
French authorities have raised concerns about potential clashes during Saturday’s demonstrations following weeks of unrest. Lecornu has described the protests as one of the most violent in decades, with more than 900 police officers injured since they began.
The police response has also faced criticism following reports of serious injuries among demonstrators, including a teenager who lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade. France’s internal police watchdog is investigating at least 24 cases of alleged police violence.
Although the use of stun grenades was suspended during the student demonstrations, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said they could be deployed during Saturday’s protests. “If there were to be clashes, all types of intermediate weapons can be used,” he told Télématin on Friday.
The government has accused the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party of encouraging the unrest, an allegation the party denies. Meanwhile, far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella warned of potential violence, saying he expected “a day of chaos for France”.
The prospect of former Yellow Vest protesters joining Saturday’s demonstrations has raised concerns that the movement could expand further.
The Yellow Vest movement began in 2018 in opposition to fuel taxes before developing into nationwide protests against rising living costs and income inequality.
Yannick Maillou, a teacher from La Crèche in western France who participated in the 2018 protests, said several gathering points had been organised for Saturday, while trade unions were also calling on members to take part. “Groups of people providing medical assistance are forming in anticipation of police violence,” he said.
Another Yellow Vest protester, Myrtil Devillers, said he sympathised with the demonstrators’ wide-ranging grievances, pointing to the continued rise in fuel prices.
“I was a Yellow Vest protester when petrol cost €1.40 ($1.57) a litre, so imagine how I feel now that it’s €2.20 ($2.47),” he said.
Devillers also highlighted dissatisfaction across education, healthcare, the justice system and businesses. “The justice system is complaining; the education system is complaining; the healthcare sector is complaining; my friends who run businesses are complaining,” he said.
With concerns over purchasing power bringing together students, trade unions and former Yellow Vest protesters, Saturday’s demonstrations could become a significant test for the French government as it faces growing economic and political challenges.
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