French trade unions, youth organizations and the Yellow Vest movement are again mobilizing for nationwide mass demonstrations on Saturday, the fourth consecutive weekend of protests in France.
Earlier in the week, there were blockades and protest actions, as well as a nationwide strike on Thursday, in which more than half a million people participated, according to the Interior Ministry.
The CGT trade union confederation put the figure at nearly 1.6 million.
A large police presence is expected once again. Around 70,000 officers were deployed on each of the previous weekends after widespread violence and looting on the sidelines of the demonstrations in previous weeks.
The protests began with student demonstrations calling for improvements to the education system. Over recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have joined them, with the main grievances including rising prices, low wages and inadequate social benefits.
In response to the mass protests, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has announced that a conference with trade unions and employer associations will be held on Monday to discuss purchasing power and wages.
The government has indicated that it intends to raise the minimum wage. It has also promised additional staff and increased funding for schools.