France and Germany are bracing for unrest with hundreds of demonstrations planned. In Paris, two separate marches organised by unions and the gilets jaunes movement through the city centre have been banned. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Instead, police have authorised a single march in the far south-east. An appeal by organisers against the decision to exclude them from the centre was rejected late on Friday night.
The interior ministry has said 410,000 people marched last Saturday, when a strong police presence mostly prevented a repeat of the widespread violence and looting that swept French cities during a first wave of mass protest on 17 October.
Unions and the gilets jaunes movement protesting over low wages, the cost of living and deteriorating public services have joined school and university students calling for better learning conditions, with a nationwide strike called for 5 November.
Government measures to address the students’ demands – including replacing a creaking university admissions platform and providing loans to local authorities for school renovations – did not go far enough, student leaders said.
However, the protests are not limited to France. Germany is also preparing for hundreds of demonstrations, reflecting the widespread nature of instability in Europe. Authorities in both countries are forced to take additional measures to maintain public order.
The situation in France has escalated following the mass protests on 17 October. That wave led to widespread violence and looting across French cities. Reinforced police forces attempted to keep the situation under control during last Saturday's march, but security measures are being strengthened ahead of a new wave of protests.
The unification of unions and the gilets jaunes movement, alongside student protests, has led to a nationwide strike on 5 November. This strike reflects a broad spectrum of discontent over socio-economic issues in the country.
The government has proposed a series of measures in response to the students' demands, but student leaders have assessed these measures as insufficient. They say that initiatives such as updating the university admissions system and allocating funds for school renovations do not address the underlying problems.
The planned hundreds of demonstrations in France and Germany indicate growing social tension in Europe. Authorities are taking additional security measures to maintain public order, while protest organisers are calling for their demands to be met.