Macron convenes national defense council as France prepares for nationwide strikes and renewed Yellow Vest protests

French President Emmanuel Macron convened a National Defense and Security Council meeting at the Élysée Palace on Wednesday, November 4, as authorities prepared for nationwide strikes and demonstrations scheduled for Thursday and Saturday amid growing protests over the cost of living.

The meeting followed the government's weekly Cabinet session and focused on security arrangements for the November 5 and 7 demonstrations, including measures to maintain public order, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.

Thursday's nationwide mobilization, organized by major French trade unions, is expected to bring together public and private sector workers, retirees, university students and high school pupils demanding higher wages, greater purchasing power and improvements in working and educational conditions.

French territorial intelligence services estimate that between 500,000 and 700,000 demonstrators could participate outside Paris, while police intelligence officials expect another 40,000 to 80,000 people to gather in the capital, according to French media reports.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes would be deployed nationwide on Thursday, with security personnel positioned in advance and checks planned at railway stations and highway toll points.

Authorities have received notifications of approximately 220 protest actions across the country.

The Yellow Vests movement, which has organized demonstrations against rising living costs since October 17, has also called on supporters to join Thursday's strikes and continue their protests through Saturday, November 7.

The movement is urging further demonstrations and blockades on Friday before another nationwide mobilization on Saturday.

France has experienced successive weekends of demonstrations involving workers, students and Yellow Vest supporters, with protesters demanding government action on household expenses, wages and public services.

The latest preparations follow demonstrations on October 31 that brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets. French authorities reported 565 arrests during that day's mobilization, with clashes recorded in several cities.

Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said Wednesday that security arrangements would be reassessed for each demonstration according to local risks, while maintaining the public's right to protest peacefully.

The French government has said it intends to allow demonstrations to proceed while protecting public safety and preventing violence.