Montpellier Crowd Marches Against High Costs Despite Official Ban
Between 15,000 and 20,000 demonstrators gathered in Montpellier on Saturday, October 31, to protest high living costs and support the student movement despite an official ban issued by the prefect of the Hérault. Overhead, a gendarmerie helicopter circled the procession, while armored RAID police vehicles parked outside the prefecture.
Administrative Court Upholds Prefecture Ban Before March Start
This marked the third Saturday of “gilets jaunes x Gen Z” mobilization in Montpellier held in defiance of a prefectural prohibition. Although local Force Ouvrière (FO) education unions negotiated and declared a route, the prefect Chantal Mauchet banned the event on Friday, October 30. An emergency appeal to the administrative court failed on Saturday morning, as judges validated the restriction just hours before the protest began. During the hearing, union attorney Tamaris Fürstenheim argued that the decision shifted from a declaration regime to an authorization regime without proving police shortages. Conversely, the prefect’s representative cited damage to roughly 50 local businesses over the previous two weeks and a requirement of 300 to 400 officers to secure the union route.
Police Evict Faculty Building Prior to Demonstration Kickoff
Protesters gathered around 2:00 PM in front of the Faculty of Sciences, the originally planned departure point. The location held tactical significance following a police eviction on Friday morning of Building 36, which had been occupied by approximately 15 students. Yann, a teacher-researcher and FSU union member, stated that personnel voted to strike if police cleared the campus. Among the core student demands is the cancellation of a June partnership agreement between the University of Montpellier and TotalEnergies for the Energy master’s program.
Tear Gas Deployed as Protesters Reach Esplanade
The procession moved toward the Albert-Ier tram stop, where additional demonstrators joined the marchers, directing insults at the hovering gendarmerie helicopter. A water cannon patrolled the Place de la Comédie while RAID trucks secured official buildings. Once the march reached the Place de la Comédie, part of the crowd briefly moved toward city hall before facing police lines. Clashes eventually broke out on the Esplanade, where officers deployed tear gas against the youth-heavy crowd.
Interunion Coalition Eyes Nationwide Strikes on November 5
Protesters and labor organizations are already looking ahead to Thursday, November 5, when an interunion coalition including the CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA, FSU, Solidaires, and FA has called for strikes and demonstrations. Lundi 26 octobre, le gouvernement de Sébastien Lecornu a présenté un plan comprenant des classes de seconde plafonnées à 28 élèves dès 2027 dans la moitié des lycées les moins favorisés, 500 postes d’enseignants et 500 postes de psychologues, infirmiers et assistants sociaux, ainsi que la fin annoncée de Parcoursup. High school student representatives like Andréa dismissed the measures as insufficient, vowing to maintain the pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Montpellier Protests
Why did the administrative court uphold the prefectural ban?
The administrative court validated the ban on Saturday morning, October 31, following arguments from the prefecture regarding recent property damage and the extensive police resources required to secure the march.
What specific economic changes are the labor unions demanding?
In their October 27 communiqué, participating unions demanded general wage and pension increases, adjustments to the point d’indice, higher social minimums, tax justice, and a reexamination of 211 billion euros in public business subsidies.
What government concessions were offered to high school students?
On October 26, the government announced plans to cap second-year high school classes at 28 students by 2027 in half of the least favored high schools, then in all public high schools in 2028, 500 teaching posts and 500 psychologist, nurse and social assistant posts, and the end of the Parcoursup system.