France is bracing for further nationwide disruption as trade unions and student groups escalate protests into a coordinated general strike, following a weekend of unrest that saw over 1,400 arrests across the country.
The industrial action, set to culminate in major demonstrations on Saturday, threatens to paralyse commuter networks, regional rail services, and secondary schools throughout the week. Labour federations and student organisations have called for widespread walkouts, with further mobilisations planned for November 5. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned the state expects "more trouble" after union leaders urged strikes in public transport, energy, and education sectors over soaring living costs, high taxation, and deteriorating school conditions.
Authorities have imposed nighttime curfews in Paris, Lyon, Nice, and Lille, permitting only officially recognised union marches. President Emmanuel Macron accused fringe rioters of "sedition," alleging organised factions aimed to "bring down the republic." Fast-track courts are handing down immediate prison sentences for vandalism, arson, and looting.
Saturday’s rallies drew between 400,000 and 800,000 demonstrators nationwide, monitored by 70,000 police officers. While daytime marches were largely peaceful, clashes erupted in several cities as night fell. In Paris, riot police used tear gas, water cannon, and elite units near Porte de Vincennes after masked groups smashed windows and erected barricades, resulting in 142 arrests in the capital. In Marseille, demonstrators set rubbish bins ablaze, damaging or looting seven businesses, while in Lyon, police dispersed crowds with tear gas. The violence left 53 police officers injured and two demonstrators seriously wounded, including a 20-year-old in Toulouse whose fingers were severed by a detonating device.
Nuñez confirmed 1,435 arrests nationwide and 267 injured security personnel, describing attacks on officers as resembling "attempted murder." Authorities seized knives, slingshots, glass marbles, and firework launchers from protesters. With restrictions still in place, police commanders are preparing for renewed tensions as walkouts begin.
The government has vowed an "extremely robust" security deployment for the upcoming weekend, as student organisations in Lyon and Marseille plan campus blockades and secondary school walkouts. Local authorities have warned commuters to expect severe bottlenecks near major transport hubs.
