Large-scale demonstrations took place again in major French cities on Thursday, November 5, with participants demanding an increase in the minimum wage. 448 people were detained. UNN reports this, citing DW.
Details
According to the French Interior Ministry, about 575,000 people took part in the rallies, while France’s largest trade union, CGT, estimated the number of participants at 1.6 million. The demonstrations took place across France.
The French Interior Ministry said that in cities such as Marseille, Nantes, Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg, police officers were attacked by groups that included hundreds of "radically minded left-wing extremists".
According to preliminary data, 86 arson attacks were recorded across France.
The ministry also reported serious damage to schools, as well as injured employees of educational institutions across the country. For example, in Toulouse, rioters set fire inside a school building, ransacked classrooms and destroyed computers, dpa reports. In the Paris suburb of La Courneuve, a young man stabbed a student who was taking part in a school blockade. In Lille, people had to be evacuated from an educational institution after the entrance area of the building was set on fire.
What are the demands
Marilys Leon, head of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), called for the minimum wage to be increased by 100 euros per month after taxes.
"France is a European country where the minimum wage has increased the least over the past 10 years. We have become a country with low wages," said Sophie Binet, head of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT).
Currently, the minimum hourly wage in France is 12.31 euros (before taxes). This amounts to approximately 1,867 euros per month for a 35-hour working week. For comparison, Germany’s minimum hourly wage will rise to 14.60 euros from January 2027.
At the end of October, about 1,000 people were detained in France during mass protests against the rising cost of living and the unsatisfactory state of the education system.
Starting Monday, students in France will block schools again following mass protests 02.11.26, 00:55