Hawzah News Agency, in the wake of expanding popular protests in France, Emmanuel Macron's government is facing intensified security measures and restrictions on gatherings. Protesters, while defending the right to demonstrate and opposing austerity, are demanding the expansion of strikes and the formation of a general strike.
After the widespread protests of October 17—which, according to the report, drew over 800,000 people onto the streets across France—protesters have called for a second round of demonstrations on Saturday, October 24. These gatherings are taking place as the French government, through increased security measures, new restrictions on protests, and judicial actions against protesters, seeks to contain the wave of popular protest.
The report describes the October 17 protests as a turning point in linking the anger of students and youth with the discontent of the popular classes—a movement that, according to the authors, demonstrated the potential to expand social protests.
In response to these developments, the government has prepared extensive security measures to control Paris and major cities. According to the report, military forces will be deployed to protect public buildings, and specialized counter-terrorism units, including RAID and GIGN, will be deployed alongside more than 70,000 police officers.
Tightening Restrictions on the Right to Protest
The report's authors believe that after a week of limited curfews in several cities, the French government has adopted a harsher approach to the right to protest. They write that by proposing a ban on gatherings not announced by trade unions, the government seeks to limit the scope of popular protests and create divisions among different sectors of the protest movement.
The report adds that by separating union demonstrations from other gatherings, the government not only seeks to ban certain protests but also tries to confine trade unions within frameworks of its own design.
As an example, the report cites the rerouting of a union demonstration in Paris. After the route from Bastille to Nation was banned, provincial authorities designated an alternative route between Place d'Italie and Porte de Vincennes—an action the authors believe was intended to distance protesters from central Paris and centers of power.
Judicial and Security Pressure on Protesters
According to the report, the widespread deployment of repressive police forces and administrative restrictions has been accompanied by severe judicial actions against protesters. The authors criticize the situation of detained students at the Babigny court, claiming that some spent the night in detention under inappropriate conditions—a situation they believe is intended to instill fear and discourage young people from continuing to protest.
The report also states that Gérald Darmanin has sent directives to prosecutors, and during the week, heavy sentences have been issued against a number of prosecuted protesters.
The authors describe these developments as part of an approach aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear and preventing the expansion of popular protests.
Warning About Escalating Racist Discourse
In another section, the report addresses the government's stance against those labeled "vandals" and "rioters." The authors believe this propaganda approach could pave the way for the expansion of racist discourse by the far-right and radical-right currents.
The report also mentions a racist attack in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, carried out by a 39-year-old man, which resulted in the death of a 26-year-old youth and severe injuries to four others. The authors see this incident as a sign of the dangers of escalating racist discourse in France's political and social atmosphere.
Calls for Greater Street Presence
The report's authors emphasize that the government's harsh measures are intended to create an atmosphere of fear to stop the protest wave that formed on October 17 and to prevent the expansion of social demands.
From this perspective, a greater presence of protesters on French streets on October 24 is of particular importance. The report mentions planned demonstrations in Orléans against the National Rally party congress as one manifestation of this protest mobilization.
However, the protesters' goal is not merely to confront protest restrictions; they also seek to pave the way for expanding protests and holding a strike on November 5—a day for which the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) has called for a widespread strike.
Trade Unions' Efforts to Expand the Strike
According to the authors' analysis, the CGT's call represents a shift in the approach of trade unions in recent weeks. They write that unions previously supported student protests but did not make sufficient efforts to shape a broad and immediate strike, postponing general mobilization to a date later than October 17.
The report believes that the government's escalating approach and the extent of protests have pushed unions toward adopting more serious positions.
The authors call on workers and students to use the November 5 strike call to strengthen connections between different sectors of the workforce and, from below, pave the way for expanding the strike and forming a comprehensive and sustained general strike.
General Assemblies: A Strategy for Linking Different Sectors of the Movement
The report continues by emphasizing the necessity of holding general assemblies to create connections between different sectors of society and organize protests from below. According to the authors, joint meetings between workers from different sectors and students can help expand the movement and coordinate protest actions.
In this context, the report mentions general assemblies of students in recent days, which reportedly brought together thousands of young people in some cities.
Additionally, Mirail University in Toulouse, which had been occupied by protesters, hosted an inter-professional assembly on Tuesday with the participation of about 800 workers from various sectors of the city. Representatives from aerospace, education, healthcare, and logistics attended the meeting and decided to use the CGT's November 5 call to initiate a sustained strike.
The report's authors see this action as a model for expanding coordination among workers in other French cities.
Targeting a General Strike and Government Withdrawal
In conclusion, the report assesses October 24 as an important opportunity to strengthen the protest movement against the government's harsh approach. The authors call for these gatherings to become a display of protesters' collective power and a launching point for expanding strikes from November 5.
The ultimate goal emphasized by the authors is to move beyond scattered strikes toward a general strike with political demands and the withdrawal of Emmanuel Macron, Sébastien Lecornu, and Laurent Nuñez.
The report also emphasizes the need to formulate a clear program for the movement—a program that includes a massive increase in public service resources, a general increase in wages, an immediate end to austerity policies, expropriation of large capitalist corporations such as TotalEnergies under worker oversight, and the defense of democratic rights, including the right to demonstrate.
The authors ultimately believe that the government's escalating measures are a sign of its concern about the expansion of popular protests and call on protesters to maintain solidarity and strengthen public mobilization to achieve broader demands.
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