Yellow Vests rally in Paris as France faces new wave of protests
French unions and student groups staged protests nationwide on Nov. 7, while Yellow Vest activists defied a ban on a separate rally in central Paris.
Cost-of-living anger fuels nationwide demonstrations
The demonstrations came amid weeks of youth-led unrest and nationwide strikes over rising living costs, stagnant wages and deteriorating conditions in education. The latest mobilisation marked another attempt by unions and student organisations to maintain pressure on the government.
Around 146,000 people took part in demonstrations across France, according to the Interior Ministry, while trade unions and student organisations put the figure at 250,000. In Paris, 46,000 people joined the authorised march, according to the police prefecture.
Yellow Vests defy ban on Paris gathering
Around 100 Yellow Vest protesters initially gathered at Place de la Concorde in central Paris, despite an official ban on the demonstration, AFP reported.
Most were not wearing the movement's characteristic high-visibility yellow vests. Riot police quickly surrounded the demonstrators and began checking their identities.
“They are being checked by law enforcement officers,” the Paris Police Prefecture said in a statement.
Marie, a 20-year-old Paris resident attending the protest, said she was struggling to make ends meet despite working full-time.
“I can't cover my expenses on a 40-hour working week. Everything is getting more expensive except wages – those in power are eating popcorn while watching us get crushed,” she said.
Two Yellow Vest representatives detained
In the early afternoon, police detained Benjamin Ball, a member of the Yellow Vests coordination group, and Azelma Sigaux, the movement's spokesperson, outside the French National Assembly, near Place de la Concorde.
The gathering had been organised separately from the authorised trade union demonstration and was prohibited by the authorities.
The Paris Police Prefecture also reported that 847 security checks had been carried out at railway stations across Paris and its nearby suburbs by 11 a.m., as part of measures to maintain public order.
70,000 security personnel deployed nationwide
Authorities had estimated that between 130,000 and 170,000 people would participate in demonstrations across France, including 60,000 in Paris. The Interior Ministry subsequently reported a nationwide turnout of 146,000.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes had been deployed throughout the country.
“If rioters or looters emerge, we will be ready and waiting for them,” he said.
Although most demonstrations remained peaceful, clashes with security forces and acts of vandalism were reported in several cities during the preceding weeks of unrest.
The latest mobilisation followed nationwide strikes and demonstrations on Thursday, when hundreds of thousands of workers took to the streets demanding higher wages and measures to address the rising cost of living.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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