France sees massive protests as unions, students and yellow vest activists rally against budget and cost-of-living measures

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in cities across France on Thursday, joining a nationwide strike organized by trade unions, the yellow-vest movement, students and workers from various sectors. The protests followed a parliamentary vote that rejected the first part of the 2027 budget, sending the proposal to the Senate for a vote scheduled for 9 December.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said more than 70,000 police officers would be deployed to manage an estimated 600,000 protesters, a figure unions claim could rise to 1.6 million. He emphasized that the security forces’ primary mission was to keep the demonstrations "peaceful" and "without any incidents". Nuñez also warned that intelligence services had detected interest from far-left groups and other violent actors that might seek to provoke unrest, organize unauthorised marches or target businesses and public buildings.

Trade unions and rights groups criticised the police deployment as excessive and described the restrictions on protest routes in Paris as "authoritarian". The government had approved an alternative route after tightening security measures following violent incidents on 17-18 October.

The budget, which includes austerity measures aimed at reducing public debt, has drawn opposition from major unions. Sophie Binet, head of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), said the plan "exacerbates the situation by targeting the most vulnerable" and called for higher taxes on wealthy individuals and large companies to fund public services. She added that the protests reflect a broader European movement of young people defending their rights and workers demanding fair pay.

Student unions also expressed dissatisfaction with the government's education reforms announced on 26 October, which include €4 billion in low-interest loans for school renovations and the creation of 15,000 additional university places by 2028. Spokesperson Sabrine Kharbach described the measures as "little more than window dressing" and called for €10 billion in direct investment and 250,000 more university spots.

Rising energy costs have added to public discontent. In response, the government released 10 million barrels of diesel from strategic reserves on 1 November, and Economy Minister Roland Lescure reported an average drop of 15 cents per litre at thousands of petrol stations.