The CGT union is pressing the Paris-police-prefecture/">Paris Prefecture of Police to approve a protest route through the heart of the capital for the demonstration scheduled for November 5. Sophie Binet, the general secretary of the CGT, requested an official response on Monday regarding the proposed march from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Concorde. She described this path as simple and classic, emphasizing that a demonstration must be visible and not hidden away.
Union organizations have called on private sector employees, civil servants, young people, and retirees to join the protest on Thursday to demand better wages and purchasing power. The unions submitted their request for the central route several days ago. However, Binet noted that they are still awaiting a reply from the prefecture, stating that working under such uncertainty is not serious. She highlighted the need to know the routes in advance to ensure security, particularly in coordination with the Paris City Hall.
This demand comes after the Prefecture of Police refused to allow protesters to march through the center of Paris on Saturday, October 31, and previously on other dates. Following riots and looting that occurred after the October 17 demonstration, authorities have only authorized alternative routes along the outskirts of the capital. Binet criticized this approach as unprecedented, arguing that it is impossible to ban demonstrations in city centers. She insisted that protesters should not be forced to march on the ring road to remain invisible.
In addition to the Paris event, Binet recalled that more than 200 other demonstrations and strikes are being organized across the country outside of the capital.
Sources: Le Monde Politique.