France: More Rallies Set for 31st, Strike Next Month; Trump Uses Protests in U.S. Election

Macron Government Pushes Property Damage Compensation Bill
Left-Wing Parties Push Back: "The End of Street Protests"
Trump and Le Pen Turn Protests into Political Issues

Anti-government protests in France over high prices and deteriorating public services appear poised to drag on. Although the government of Emmanuel Macron has deployed a large police force and is pushing legislation requiring compensation for property damage, further rallies and a nationwide strike have been announced, suggesting the conflict will not subside easily.

Demonstrators march in Paris, France, on the 24th (local time). AP-Yonhap News

According to reports published on October 26 by French news agency AFP, Le Monde and other foreign media, French labor unions and protest groups are urging people to take part in additional rallies on October 31 and a nationwide strike on November 5. The education union SUD Education has announced it will join the October 31 protest, while the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) is expected to decide whether to participate later this week. Muriel Gilbert, co-leader of the Solidaires trade union federation, appeared on BFM TV on October 25 (local time), saying, "Anger from various groups is coming together," and urging people to join the additional rallies.

Discussions about the additional rallies followed anti-government protests held across France on October 24. The French Interior Ministry said 410,000 people took part that day, while labor groups claimed the turnout was 800,000. The government deployed 70,000 police officers to prevent a recurrence of the large-scale arson and looting that occurred on October 17. A total of 1,314 people were arrested during the protests, and about 50 police officers were injured. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, but sporadic clashes broke out in some cities, including Paris and Marseille.

The Macron government has vowed a hard-line response in the wake of the violence on October 17. The French Senate is expected to review this week what has been dubbed the "property damage compensation bill." The bill would allow participants to be held liable for up to 10,000 euros in damages even if they did not directly take part in property destruction, provided they belonged to the same group as the perpetrators or continued protesting nearby. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu recently argued that the bill was "absolutely necessary" in light of the recent looting and arson.

However, the British newspaper The Guardian reported that left-wing parties and human rights groups oppose the bill, saying it could infringe on the freedom of assembly and protest. Eric Coquerel, a lawmaker from the far-left party La France Insoumise (LFI), criticized the bill, saying it would mean "the end of street protests." The French League of Human Rights and left-wing trade unions have also called for the bill to be withdrawn, warning that it could undermine the rule of law.

Marine Le Pen of France's far-right National Rally (RN) party speaks at the party's 19th congress in Orleans, France, on the 25th (local time). Photo by AP-Yonhap News.

Some have also sought to exploit the situation for political purposes. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally (RN) parliamentary group in the French National Assembly, campaigned for the presidential election in Orleans on October 25, saying, "I will restore order in France." Le Pen has emphasized tough law-and-order policies in an effort to distinguish herself from the Macron government. In a poll on support in the first round of the next presidential election, conducted by Ipsos on October 21-22 among 1,500 voters, Le Pen received about 33% support.

U.S. President Donald Trump has also been using the French protests as a political issue ahead of the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November 3. In an interview with Fox News that aired on October 26, Trump said he had previously warned Macron, "You are destroying France. You are allowing people who hate your country to come in." He has continued making related remarks at campaign rallies and elsewhere, even after Macron expressed displeasure on October 21, saying, "In moments like this, it becomes clear who loves France and who does not."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.