French unions call strikes and protests amid unrest

French trade unions and student groups called for demonstrations and strikes on Thursday, November 5, as authorities prepared a nationwide security deployment following weeks of unrest. The planned action is centred on living costs, public services and education; the reports describe expected participation and disruption, not the day’s final outcome. Authorities planned to deploy around 70,000 police officers nationwide, according to reports attributed to BFM TV. France’s domestic intelligence service estimated that 500,000 to 700,000 people would demonstrate outside Paris. The estimate covers areas outside the capital, while another report put expected attendance in Paris at as many as 80,000. The Education Ministry expected 17.5% of public primary school teachers to strike. Unions also warned of possible disruption to rail and public transport, and EDF said French power unions were expected to join the action. These were forecasts; the reports do not establish how many workers ultimately took part or whether services were affected. The mobilisation was called by trade unions, including the CGT, and backed by student groups. Union demands include higher wages, tax reforms and...