French leftist leader warns of weekly demonstrations and an impending general strike.
On Saturday, French radical left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon urged French President Emmanuel Macron to yield to protesters’ demands before leaving office in May 2027.
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“You still have time to give in; afterward, you will have no choice but to leave. Give in and stop wasting our time,” Melenchon, a four-time presidential candidate, said as he marched in the Paris demonstration, which proceeded between Porte d’Italie and Porte de Vincennes.
Melenchon, leader of France Unbowed (LFI), warned Macron that if social demands go unanswered, mobilizations such as the one taking place in France for the second consecutive Saturday “will be repeated every week.”
“This is a very important moment in the history of popular movements in our country,” Melenchon said, convinced that “a general strike is coming” for the authorities.
Victoire totale du mouvement social. La marche s’est rassemblée au nouveau point autorisé et déferle dans le calme sur plus de quatre kilomètres. Les provocations aux désordres du préfet de police et de Lecornu sont un échec total. Pour les autorités, il est temps de céder, sinon… pic.twitter.com/S3d6k2DWf3
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) October 24, 2026
Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s text states: “A total victory for the social movement. The march has gathered at the newly authorized location and is proceeding calmly along a route over four kilometers long. The provocations intended to incite disorder—orchestrated by the police prefect and Lecornu—have failed completely. It is time for the authorities to yield; otherwise, they will soon have no choice but to head for the exit.”
Macron must decide whether to yield to the demands now or do so later under much more unpredictable circumstances, Melenchon said. He also accused the French president of adopting an attitude characteristic of an “absolute monarchy” by claiming to be “always right” in his dealings with others.
Melenchon said Macron had taken advantage of the state of shock caused by the racist terrorist attack in Trappes, on the outskirts of Paris, to change the route of the protest through the French capital, creating confusion among demonstrators.
“Everything is being prepared to provoke an explosion” and spark unrest, he said. He questioned the deployment of military personnel to protect public buildings and authorities’ recommendations that business owners turn to private security services, arguing that both measures contribute to rising tensions.
“They are doing absolutely everything to provoke an incident,” Melenchon insisted, urging demonstrators to remain calm, follow union instructions and maintain collective discipline “so that everything goes smoothly.”
Immense cortège à Paris pour demander l’abrogation de parcoursup, 10 milliards pour les lycéens, la hausse du SMIC et des salaires.
Et pour défendre notre liberté de manifester !
Les manœuvres de Nunez et Lecornu ont échoué. pic.twitter.com/eGJIiVKkH8
— Paul Vannier (@PaulVannierFI) October 24, 2026
The text reads, “A massive procession in Paris calling for the repeal of Parcoursup, 10 billion euros for high school students, and an increase in the minimum wage and salaries—as well as the defense of our right to protest! The maneuvers by Nunez and Lecornu have failed.”
For all these reasons, the leftist leader called on the French government to “stop provoking” demonstrators and “adding fuel to the fire,” and to listen to “demands that are not so difficult to meet.”
Melenchon also criticized meetings held during the week between the Macron administration and political parties, describing them as useless and theatrical.
“They live in a bubble, make decisions that have no connection to reality and are not even coordinated among themselves. That is why they are dangerous,” he said.
On Saturday, France faced a second day of nationwide demonstrations called by unions, students and the Yellow Vests movement to protest the rising cost of living and demand more public funding for education.
Following serious incidents on Saturday, Oct. 17, authorities deployed a major security operation on Saturday and banned demonstrations in several French cities, particularly those not organized by unions.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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