France’s Oct. 24 protests drew sharply different nationwide counts, with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reporting 410,000 participants and the CGT union estimating nearly 800,000 for the mobilization.
Nuñez said authorities recorded 410,000 participants at 289 public actions nationwide. The CGT said nearly 800,000 young people, workers and retirees had mobilized by 11:30 a.m. ET (15:30 UTC). The union linked its demonstrations to living-cost pressures and conditions for students. It has also pointed to low pay, precarious work, limited prospects for young people and pressure on public services. The CGT said employers and the government should address demands over living costs and austerity.
The Union étudiante’s 10-point platform sought renovations to school buildings, more education and support staff, schedule changes in schools and universities, and 250,000 additional higher-education places. President Emmanuel Macron said students had also raised the availability of substitute teachers and career guidance.
Yellow Vests organizers separately named their Oct. 24 call “Act II” and referred to their 2018 roundabout protests as a precedent.
Before the demonstrations, Nuñez announced plans to mobilize 70,000 police officers and gendarmes, backed by about 20 Centaure armored vehicles and 15 water-cannon vehicles. The Interior Ministry instructed prefects to review routes and consult mayors, consider bans where they judged there was a risk of looting or damage, and carry out checks at stations and along transport routes. The ministry cited looting, attacks on public buildings and assaults on security forces during Oct. 17 demonstrations as reasons for its measures. EconoTimes had reported the plan in its earlier coverage of the security deployment.
Nathalie Godard, advocacy director at Amnesty International France, criticized the approach, saying, “This exclusively security-focused escalation comes at the expense of our freedoms.”
Yellow Vests organizers have called for gatherings and sit-ins on Oct. 31. The CGT and other unions have called for a strike and demonstration on Nov. 5.
