France’s fourth consecutive weekend of protests is the calmest yet

For the fourth consecutive Saturday, France is seeing protests taking place in several cities, with unions, students and yellow vest supporters calling for action against the cost of living.

Similarly to the previous weekend, the interior ministry deployed 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide.

However, this weekend looks like the calmest one yet, with the Interior Ministry reporting that by 14:00, some 7,000 people had taken part in 68 gatherings and actions across France.

This compared with 15,000 participants across 65 actions at the same time the previous Saturday, October 31, and 37,000 across 108 actions on October 24.

The low turnout comes after a major demonstration on November 5 when the CGT union estimated that 1.6 million people had taken part nationwide, including 350,000 in Paris. The Interior Ministry put the nationwide figure at 575,000, with 65,000 in the capital.

In Paris, the main demonstration, which set off shortly after 14:00, was authorised to begin at Place de la République and march towards place de la Nation along boulevard Voltaire.

A separate gathering called by the yellow vest organisers at place de la Concorde was banned.

Authorities had expected between 40,000 and 60,000 people to take part in the Paris demonstrations.

In Lyon, Le Monde reported around 900 people gathered outside the Manufacture des Tabacs in the city's eighth arrondissement, despite a ban on demonstrations. Police intervened to disperse the crowd, with a group of around 200 people moving towards the Grange-Blanche area being followed by officers.

Earlier in the day, around 500 people marched in Pau, while a further 500 gathered in Clermont-Ferrand.

In Toulon, the Var prefecture said that 300 people had taken part in a demonstration organised by the CGT, FSU and Solidaires unions. The march ended peacefully at 11:45.

Final turnout figures remain unknown.

Why are people protesting?

The demonstrations, which began with student protests before expanding to include trade unions, workers and yellow vest supporters, are calling for higher wages and improved purchasing power, as well as greater investment in education and public services.

Manon Moret, secretary-general of student union Unef, said young people remained “determined and angry” and would continue demonstrating.

A new protest is being planned for Tuesday, November 10.

The student organisations said the government's responses had not gone far enough to date.

For now, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called a social conference at Matignon on November 9, bringing together trade unions and employers' organisations to discuss wages and purchasing power.

Student and education organisations are also due to meet the government later in the day.