France braces for fresh protests in test for Macron's policies

Hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected to march through French cities on Thursday, while public workers prepare to strike. The mobilization, called by trade unions including the left-wing CGT and supported by student groups, follows demonstrations regarding education, public services, and living costs that have resulted in the country's worst civil unrest in years.

President Emmanuel Macron stated his goal is to ensure the presidential election, scheduled in five months, takes place under the calmest possible conditions.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the government is attempting to lower tensions following riots and looting on October 17 that damaged public buildings and shops. Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon stated during a Wednesday press conference that authorities are being extremely vigilant to avoid a repeat of the October 17 events. BFM TV reported that approximately 70,000 police officers will be deployed nationwide.

The domestic intelligence service expects between 500,000 and 700,000 people to participate in demonstrations outside of Paris. Additionally, the Education Ministry reported that 17.5% of public primary school teachers are expected to strike, and unions have warned of potential disruptions to public transport and rail services.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Jerusalem Post, Free Malaysia Today — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.