Tens of thousands of workers marched across France on Thursday, 5 November, as the country's five main trade unions staged a nationwide strike over wages, pensions and the rising cost of living — the latest escalation in more than a month of protests piling pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government.
Unions said around 260 rallies were planned across the country, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to take part. By the afternoon, the CGT, France's largest union confederation, said more than 250,000 people were demonstrating in 73 cities. As many as 80,000 people were expected to march in Paris alone, where the Eiffel Tower closed for the day.
What happened on Thursday
Major rallies took place in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities, after more than a month of large, recurring protests across France. The five main union confederations — the CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and FSU — called the one-day national strike jointly, bringing together rail workers, teachers, hospital staff, postal workers and private-sector employees alongside high-school and university students.
Public transport was heavily disrupted. All four main unions at the state railway operator SNCF joined the strike, and regional services and some routes around Paris were affected. Paris metro, bus and tram services were expected to operate normally, according to reports on Thursday morning.
The atmosphere at the start of the Paris march, at the Place de la République, was described as joyful and relaxed despite heavy security, with hundreds of musicians playing string, brass and percussion instruments as protesters carrying trade union flags gathered. The same square saw clashes and looting during protests on 17 October.
What the unions are demanding
The unions are calling for across-the-board wage rises, pension increases for the lowest-income retirees, tax reforms, better learning conditions for young people and better-funded public services. They are also seeking an increase in the national minimum wage and higher taxes on wealth, inheritances and company dividends, and want changes to the government's draft 2027 budget, which they say would weaken public services and squeeze household incomes already hit by fuel, food, housing and energy costs rising faster than wages.
"Fuel, food products, rent, gas, electricity … everything's going up except wages and pensions."
— France's main unions, in a joint statement
The unions warned that the country is on the brink of recession and that layoff plans are multiplying. "Anger is immense," they said in their joint statement. "The situation in this country is fragile. The pressing social and environmental challenges must be addressed without delay."
"When the government is not reasonable, when the head of the SNCF is not reasonable — bosses in general are not reasonable — and when they're not reasonable, we simply do what we've always done in France, which is to go on strike."
— Fabien Villedieu, national secretary of the SUD-Rail union, speaking to The Associated Press at Paris Gare de Lyon station
Disruption in schools and on the rails
Students held fresh protests alongside the strike. About a third of France's high schools were closed or unable to operate on Thursday, some because of student blockades and others because teachers were on strike, according to AP. The government reported blockades at 81 of the country's 3,700 high schools, while a high-school student association said classes had been suspended at 1,000 secondary schools. The Education Ministry said around 16% of teachers nationwide were on strike.
In Paris, police used tear gas to try to prevent students from blocking access to the Hélène-Boucher high school, an AFP reporter said. In the north-eastern city of Strasbourg, police urged people to exercise extreme caution near certain schools.
A heavy police presence
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 70,000 police officers and security forces had been deployed across the country, backed by armoured vehicles, drones and helicopters, promising what he called "an extremely firm response" to any acts of violence or disorder.
The protests have been largely peaceful, though some have disintegrated into clashes with police, who have fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds. Authorities in Brittany said masked individuals tried to block roads in Rennes on Thursday, and that young people, often accompanied by adults, had committed what they called "serious acts of violence", including throwing steel balls at police.
The police response has been criticised as heavy-handed, and internal police investigations have been launched over allegations of brutality against demonstrators. Several teenage protesters have been seriously wounded and thousands arrested during the weeks of protest, according to The Hindu.
What is not yet verified: turnout figures cited in this article come from the unions themselves and have not been independently confirmed. Official crowd estimates, if released, may differ. Final nationwide participation figures are still being compiled.
How the movement grew
The movement began in September with a protest over staff shortages at a high school south-east of Paris and spread nationwide. It drew students demanding more education funding and workers seeking better pensions and help with soaring fuel prices and other costs. On 17 October, the protests culminated in the worst rioting France has seen in years.
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| September 2026 | Protests begin over staff shortages at a high school south-east of Paris; students demand more education funding |
| 17 October 2026 | Worst rioting in France in years, including clashes and looting at the Place de la République in Paris |
| 28 October 2026 | Petrol bombs thrown at security forces in Paris; an attempted murder investigation is launched |
| 5 November 2026 | Five main unions stage a nationwide one-day strike; around 260 rallies planned, with hundreds of thousands expected to march |
The political backdrop: the strikes come six months before elections to replace President Emmanuel Macron in May 2027. Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, and the far right is leading in opinion polls, with Marine Le Pen the favourite to win. Political parties are already seeking to capitalise on the movement. "There is a sense of absolute frustration at the government's failure to operate," Paul Smith, an associate professor of French history and politics at the University of Nottingham, told AP. "Whoever wins the presidential election is going to have a stack of problems to cope with."
Frequently asked questions
Why are French workers striking?
The five main unions say wages and pensions have not kept pace with the cost of living — fuel, food, rent, gas and electricity — and are demanding across-the-board pay rises, pension increases, tax reform and changes to the government's draft 2027 budget.
How widespread is the disruption?
Rail services were disrupted nationwide, about a third of high schools were closed or unable to operate, and hospitals and postal services were affected. Paris metro, bus and tram services were expected to run normally.
Have the protests been violent?
Mostly they have been peaceful, according to reports from Thursday, but some demonstrations have turned into clashes with police, and masked rioters unconnected to the unions' demands have committed acts of violence. The government deployed 70,000 police officers and security forces.
What happens next?
The strike was called as a one-day action. What matters now is whether the unions call further action, how the government responds, and how the dispute feeds into the debate over the 2027 budget in parliament — and into the presidential election campaign.
Key takeaways
- France's five main unions staged a nationwide one-day strike on 5 November over wages, pensions and the cost of living, with around 260 rallies planned.
- The CGT said more than 250,000 people were demonstrating in 73 cities by the afternoon; up to 80,000 were expected in Paris, where the Eiffel Tower closed for the day.
- Rail services were disrupted, about a third of high schools were closed or unable to operate, and 70,000 police officers were deployed nationwide.
- The movement began in September as a student protest and has grown into a broader challenge to Macron's government, six months before the presidential election.
The government had been negotiating with unions before the strike in hopes of limiting the unrest. Whether Thursday's show of force moves those talks — or hardens positions on both sides — will become clearer in the coming days, as final turnout figures emerge and the unions decide whether to call further action.
