France: High Security Alert and 70,000 Police Deployed Ahead of 'Act 4' Protests

France, and particularly the capital Paris, is undergoing a day of social mobilization under tightened security measures, coinciding with the 'fourth act' of protest movements that bring together the 'Yellow Vests' movement, trade unions, and student organizations. The action is likely to directly impact movement and daily activities for residents and diaspora communities across various French cities.

Security Mobilization Involving 70,000 Police Officers and Gendarmes

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the reactivation of a strict security plan, deploying 70,000 police and gendarmerie personnel nationwide. Authorities aim to prevent a recurrence of the riots and looting witnessed across the country on October 17, with the minister confirming that the risk level remains comparable to previous weeks. Consequently, prefects in various regions have issued orders banning demonstrations in city centers to prevent spontaneous and unauthorized gatherings.

Division Between Unions and the 'Yellow Vests' in Paris

The streets of the capital are witnessing two separate protest tracks. A student coordination (Union étudiante, Fage, Unef, and USL) alongside trade union federations (CGT, FO, FSU, Solidaires, and CFDT) called for an authorized march starting from Place de la République toward Place de la Nation, protesting the rising cost of living and defending youth rights.

Conversely, the 'Yellow Vests' coordination broke away from the union route, refusing to follow it and calling on supporters to gather and hold a sit-in at Place de la Concorde from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., despite the Paris Police Prefecture refusing to grant them a permit. The movement's lawyer, David Libeskind, confirmed the filing of a criminal complaint against Paris Police Prefect Patrice Faure, while movement spokesperson Benjamin Ball called for 'civil disobedience' in the politically symbolic square near the National Assembly.

Upcoming Social Conference to Address Purchasing Power

These grassroots actions are intended to pile pressure on the government ahead of the 'social conference' called by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu for Monday at the Hôtel de Matignon. The conference is expected to bring together employers and trade unions in the morning, followed by meetings with student organizations in the afternoon, aiming to deliver tangible responses to the wage crisis and declining purchasing power, which represent the primary concern of residents in France during this socially charged autumn.