France Braces for Nationwide Strike as 70,000 Police Deploy for Marches

French trade unions called a nationwide strike and street marches on Thursday over wages, pensions and public services, the latest test for President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of unrest and five months before a presidential election, Reuters reported.

Authorities expect 500,000 to 700,000 people to march outside Paris and 40,000 to 80,000 in the capital, according to AFP. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 70,000 police and gendarmes would be deployed and promised a very firm response to any violence.

Who is walking out

The Guardian reported that hospital staff, air traffic controllers, postal workers, teachers and rail employees were expected to join. The Education Ministry said 17.5% of public primary school teachers were expected to strike, Reuters reported.

Rail unions called a 24-hour strike. La Dépêche du Midi said about one in 10 high-speed TGV trains would be canceled, with heavier disruption on regional lines and some Paris-area RER services. High school and university students, who have protested since mid-September, and “yellow vest” activists are also backing the action, AFP said.

Union demands and route fights

The CGT, one of the unions behind the strike, is demanding higher wages and pensions, more money for public services and a different state and social security budget. Unions are also seeking an increase in the minimum wage, AFP reported.

Authorities are trying to avoid a repeat of Oct. 17, when riots and looting damaged shops and public buildings around the country, according to Reuters. “It is out of the question to relive October 17,” government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said.

Several cities restricted marches in central districts. In Paris, an administrative court upheld a police route between Place de la République and Place de la Nation, which the CGT’s Paris-region branch said it would follow, AFP reported. The government is also struggling to pass a spending-cut budget, with public debt nearing 120% of economic output, The Guardian said.

Developing: Turnout figures from police and unions are expected later Thursday.

Sources: Reuters, The Guardian, AFP via France 24, La Dépêche du Midi, CGT.