France is preparing for a tense day of nationwide protests on 17 October, with demonstrations over the cost-of-living crisis and rising fuel prices expected to draw unions, supporters of the yellow vest movement and students onto the streets.
French authorities are increasing security measures amid concerns that some demonstrations could turn violent, particularly in Paris and other major cities. The planned protests come after weeks of student demonstrations over problems in the education system, including teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and outdated school facilities.
According to a source close to France’s Interior Ministry, around 500 actions and an estimated 90 protests are planned across the country on Saturday. The demonstrations are expected to bring together people concerned about living costs, fuel prices and wider economic pressures.
Although most student demonstrations in recent weeks have been peaceful, some have been accompanied by clashes and allegations of excessive police force. The incidents have intensified tensions between demonstrators and law enforcement, adding to concerns about how authorities will handle the latest round of protests.
A source cited by Euronews warned that some far-left groups could attempt to provoke confrontations with police or breach security perimeters along demonstration routes. Authorities have also warned against blockades affecting major transport routes and essential infrastructure, saying such actions would not be tolerated.
French President Emmanuel Macron sought to defend the right to demonstrate while urging protesters to avoid violence and damage to property.
“The right to protest is fully respected,” Macron said on Friday, while stressing that it “must be accompanied by respect for people and property.”
He called for calm, arguing that the rights associated with public demonstrations must be preserved.
The security preparations come amid growing scrutiny of police conduct during the student protests. Several incidents involving serious injuries have prompted investigations and renewed debate over the use of force against demonstrators, including minors.
In one case, a 15-year-old schoolboy reportedly lost an eye after being struck by a police rubber bullet. In another, a 14-year-old allegedly lost his hand after picking up a police stun grenade. Investigations into the circumstances of both incidents remain ongoing.
Following the second incident, French authorities suspended the use of certain types of stun grenades. However, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said in an interview on Friday that stun grenades could still be used during the 17 October demonstrations if serious urban violence occurred.
Nuñez defended their use as a response to dangerous situations, saying the devices were “never used when things are going well.”
The minister also told France’s Senate on Tuesday that 36 investigations into alleged police violence during student protests had been opened. Four involved injuries described as mutilating, while six concerned significant injuries. The remaining investigations covered allegations including physical assaults, insults and sexual violence.
The investigations have added to pressure on the government to explain how officers are being deployed and what safeguards are in place during demonstrations. They have also exposed tensions between the authorities’ responsibility to maintain public order and demands for accountability when protesters are seriously injured.
The dispute has also exposed divisions over the government’s handling of the demonstrations. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Thursday that 937 police officers and gendarmes had been injured since the protests began. He also reported injuries involving 248 students and 149 education staff members, describing the figures as the highest number of injuries ever recorded by France’s Education Ministry.
Lecornu warned that the secondary school student movement was developing into a “wave of urban violence.” His remarks reflect the government’s growing concern that demonstrations initially focused on education could expand into broader confrontations involving police, protesters and public infrastructure.
The country’s police unions have also criticised the government’s response. Alliance Police Nationale, one of France’s largest police unions, announced on Tuesday that it intended to file a complaint against the state for allegedly “endangering the lives of others.”
The union accused the government of issuing contradictory instructions to officers during the student demonstrations, leaving them exposed to violence and public hostility without clear operational guidance.
“After the president’s expressions of empathy towards rioters and emphasis on dialogue, we are now faced with vague instructions, contradictory orders and superficial public statements,” the union said.
It also pointed to what it described as a growing gap between Nuñez’s public statements and the verbal instructions communicated to officers through the chain of command.
The political debate has widened beyond policing, with the left-wing France Unbowed party facing accusations from the government and political opponents that its rhetoric has contributed to unrest. Party leader Jean-Luc Melenchon urged supporters in a speech on 30 September to “stand up to police brutality,” adding that “there will be neither forgetting nor forgiveness for anyone.”
Melenchon subsequently clarified that he supported peaceful methods of protest.
The demonstrations also come as France confronts a major public debt crisis and a difficult budget debate in a hung parliament. The government’s efforts to pass a budget containing austerity measures have added to the economic pressures surrounding the protests.
There are also questions about whether the demonstrations could revive the yellow vest movement, which emerged in 2018 in opposition to a planned increase in fuel taxes. The movement grew into a nationwide protest campaign, with demonstrators regularly blocking roundabouts, motorways and fuel depots, sometimes clashing with police.
The latest protests bring together several sources of public frustration, from the cost of everyday essentials to conditions in schools and concerns about police conduct. Whether these grievances develop into a sustained revival of the yellow vest movement remains uncertain, but the planned demonstrations are already placing pressure on the government to maintain public order while protecting the right to protest.
