France Tightens Security as Lecornu Seeks to Address Protesters’ Demands

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protests in France.

Following another night of localised curfews in several French cities, introduced to prevent a repeat of the violence witnessed over the weekend, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is due to meet trade union leaders on Wednesday. The talks will focus on improving security at demonstrations and addressing the demands of secondary school students who helped spark the protests.

As the government seeks a way out of the crisis, restoring public order remains its top priority.

Curfews have been imposed for a second consecutive night in several areas. In central Marseille, a night-time curfew for minors came into force at 10pm local time on Tuesday and is set to remain in place until at least Friday. The restrictions apply to designated areas of the city centre and nearby shopping districts. In Toulouse, a curfew is scheduled to run from Thursday, 22 October, until Sunday, 25 October, between 11.59pm and 5am in a limited area of the city centre.

In Paris, an unusual calm prevailed on Tuesday evening around the Forum des Halles shopping complex. Large numbers of police officers and gendarmes were deployed, directing passers-by away from the area as a helicopter circled overhead.

Against this backdrop, Lecornu is due to meet representatives of France’s five major trade unions on Wednesday morning: the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), Force Ouvrière (FO), the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC) and the General Confederation of Executives (CFE-CGC).

In a letter to the organisers of the demonstrations, Lecornu said the meeting would address “ways and means to guarantee the essential freedom to protest” — a right he said some were attempting to undermine by associating it with unacceptable acts.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez will also attend the meeting.

Further demonstrations are planned for Saturday, 24 October, following calls from the Yellow Vests movement and student groups. Trade unions have also announced another day of mobilisation for 5 November.

The CFDT and CGT have expressed disappointment that student organisations will not be represented at Wednesday’s meeting. Lecornu intends to discuss a response to the demands of secondary school students, which include reviewing school timetables, renovating deteriorating school buildings, providing substitute teachers for absent staff and reforming Parcoursup, France’s higher education admissions platform, which has faced widespread criticism.

Lecornu has promised students that initial announcements will be made early next week, with the proposals subsequently presented to Parliament during the forthcoming budget debate.

The CGT has called for student representatives to be included in the discussions. The CFDT, meanwhile, has warned that the meeting must not focus solely on organising the 5 November mobilisation or become a lecture on responsibility over looting and vandalism, which the union has condemned.

In a statement, the CFDT stressed that purchasing power — a priority for both workers and consumers — must be addressed urgently. It also highlighted the absence of youth organisations from the meeting, despite the planned discussion of how to respond to their demands.

On Tuesday, France’s Defender of Rights authority, which monitors compliance with professional and ethical standards by security forces and other public bodies, announced that it had received 46 referrals since the student protests began. More than 10 concerned incidents reported over the weekend.

Lecornu has pledged to go beyond discussions on maintaining public order, promising a detailed assessment of the budget, purchasing power and the sharp rise in fuel prices. He also intends to present proposals that could be adopted at the conclusion of the budget debate in December.

Trade unions are seeking concrete responses to their demands, which were overshadowed by the disorder that erupted on 17 October.

Cyril Chabanier, head of the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC), said unions had managed to prevent disruptive groups, including members of the so-called Black Bloc, from infiltrating their marches. However, he acknowledged that they could not control individuals operating in nearby streets who went on to commit acts of vandalism.

On Thursday, Lecornu is due to meet political parties to discuss the difficulties encountered during last week’s mobilisation. According to a letter sent to party representatives, the talks will address security arrangements for the presidential election campaign, with Lecornu urging participants to condemn the violence.

In the Paris region, 557 people were placed in police custody following the violence and looting over the weekend. Of those, around 300 had appeared before judicial authorities, according to figures reported by the authorities. Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau said those whose cases had been examined had not cited any political motive.

Her remarks come as the government accuses the far left of encouraging the violence, a claim that remains politically contested.


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