French Unions Call October 31 Rallies, November 5 Strike

French unions and protest groups have called demonstrations for October 31 and a nationwide strike for November 5, seeking to sustain pressure on the government over wages, living costs and public services. The calls followed nationwide marches on October 24, when authorities mounted a large security deployment to contain unrest. The Interior Ministry said 410,000 people took part in the marches and 70,000 police were deployed. It reported 1,314 arrests and about 50 injured police officers. These figures were ministry estimates; the reports do not independently verify them. The ministry said the arrest total was about half that of the previous week, while the number of injured officers was lower than the more than 1,000 reported a week earlier. The demonstrations on October 24 took place amid a movement that began with student protests the previous month and has drawn support from other groups. Labour leaders said frustration over wages, living costs and public services was extending beyond students. Murielle Guilbert, co-leader of the Solidaires trade union federation, said grievances among students, workers, firefighters and others were converging. The SUD Education teaching...