France gears up for strikes and protests as unions promise national mobilisation
Five of France's unions have joined a wave of strikes and protests in a national day of action.
France prepares for strikes and protests as unions call for nationwide mobilisation
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators are expected to join marches across France as five unions take part in strikes and protests in a national day of action.
The protests started in September with high school students complaining about poor conditions and a lack of resources in education, but they have since expanded to include the so-called "yellow vest" movement and workers.
Authorities anticipate that 500,000 to 700,000 demonstrators will take part in marches, with tens of thousands more expected in Paris alone, on a day described by one union leader as "a great day of convergence".
The five unions have joined forces across the public and private sectors, demanding higher wages to offset the cost of living and protected public services.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 70,000 police and gendarmes are being deployed, and vowed "an extremely firm response" to any possible outbreaks of violence.
More than 250 separate actions are planned for 5 November, with disruption already reported in schools, hospitals and public transport.
Workers have also been asked to stop production at oil refineries, and France is expected to import more electricity than it produces on Thursday because of disruption at nuclear plants.
A coalition of unions has called on workers, pensioners and young people to join Thursday's day of strikes to increase pressure on the government. In particular, they are seeking a rise in the minimum wage, or Smic, which is currently €12.31 (£10) an hour.
Disruption was already reported at schools on Thursday morning.
The head of the CFDT union, Marylise Léon, said it was not only the minimum wage that needed to rise: "We are asking for a net increase of €100 a month."
The government has tried to ease public anger over rising prices by lowering the cost of fuel through the release of 10 million barrels of diesel from strategic reserves. Ministers have also promised school students that they will reform the unpopular Parcoursup university admissions platform and eventually replace it by 2028.
Large crowds are expected on the streets, especially in the capital.
One union leader, Sophie Binet, who called it the "great day of convergence", said: "The time has come to take the mobilisation to the next level; the strike must take over."
Léon said she would be pleased if 800,000 people turned out.
Union leaders have said recent marches were kept away from central Paris because of violence that erupted in towns and cities on 17 October and led to more than 2,000 stores being looted and historic buildings being set on fire.
Thursday's march will be allowed through central Paris, although not along the route proposed by the unions between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Concorde, which would have brought protesters near the National Assembly, the Élysée Palace, and the prime minister's residence at Hôtel Matignon.
Instead, the march is set to take another central route from Place de la République to Place de la Nation. The CFDT union said that getting court approval for the route only on Wednesday evening made organising the march more difficult.
The last major mobilisation at the weekend passed with relatively little violence, and the interior minister said the police deployment would be on a similar scale on Thursday. Nuñez has identified three potential risks on Thursday, from radical left "black blocs" groups and looting to wildcat marches without union authorisation.