French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu plans to meet representatives from five trade unions in Paris on Wednesday morning to discuss security at demonstrations, Reuters reported. In a letter sent to the organisations, Lecornu said the talks would cover the "ways and means to guarantee the essential freedom to demonstrate", and noted that some groups were attempting to subvert the protests with "unacceptable acts".
High-school organisations have not been invited to Wednesday's meeting, although pupils' demands are expected to be discussed, according to French reports cited by Daily Inference, which said the CFDT and CGT union confederations had criticised the students' exclusion. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez was also expected at the talks, the reports said. Lecornu has also summoned political parties for discussions on protest security, according to reports summarised by Particle News.
More protests over the rising cost of living are planned for Saturday, October 24, organised by the Yellow Vest movement and high-school students, Reuters reported, while the trade unions have called their own day of mobilisation for November 5.
France was rocked over the weekend by some of its worst rioting in recent years, with images of clashes, looting and public buildings set ablaze prompting several countries, including the United States, China and Germany, to issue travel advisories for their citizens, Reuters reported. The unrest led to curfews and arrests in several cities.
Facing angry lawmakers in parliament, Lecornu acknowledged that the security response had fallen short and promised a stronger approach. "The deployment for next Saturday will be massive," he said. The protests come about six months before French voters head to the polls to elect a successor to President Emmanuel Macron.
Sources: Reuters, via The Hindu and Le Pays de France (Oct 21, 2026); Daily Inference, citing French reports on the union invitations (Oct 21, 2026); Particle News summary of French reporting on the Matignon talks (Oct 21, 2026).