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France protests living costs for a fourth consecutive Saturday

Unions, students and Yellow Vests again mobilised against living costs across France. The Interior Ministry counted 146,000 participants nationwide; youth organisations gave a separate estimate of 250,000. Demonstrations faced different local restrictions. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu plans talks with union and employer representatives on Monday about wages and purchasing power.

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Police maintain a metal barrier closure at the entrance to Place de la Concorde in Paris as two adult demonstrators wait outside during living-cost protests.

A fourth Saturday of demonstrations

Demonstrators returned to the streets across France on Saturday in the fourth consecutive weekend mobilisation against the cost of living. Unions, student organisations and the Yellow Vests, a protest movement in France, called actions in different cities.[1], [2]

The Interior Ministry put nationwide participation at 146,000. Youth organisations separately estimated 250,000 participants. Authorities deployed about 70,000 police and gendarmes across the country for the day’s demonstrations.[1]

Cities apply different restrictions

In Paris, an authorised union march was separate from the Yellow Vests’ proposed gathering at Place de la Concorde. The latter was banned and police blocked access to the square. A procession around Jean-Jaurès in Toulouse ended without incident despite restrictions in the city centre. In Pau, authorities and demonstrators agreed a route. Marseille permitted a designated procession while restricting gatherings elsewhere.[1]

Lecornu prepares talks on wages

France’s prime minister Sébastien Lecornu plans to receive union and employer representatives at Matignon, the prime minister’s office, on Monday. Wages and purchasing power are on the agenda. Education unions voiced concern that public employees might be excluded from those discussions and called for further strikes and demonstrations on Tuesday.[1]

References

  1. News sourceLa Dépêche du MidiFrance’s cost-of-living protests continue for fourth Saturday↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceTF1 InfoCost-of-living protests continue in France↩
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