GLOBAL SITUATION ALERT: Strike & Demonstrations France

A nationwide day of protest and strike is planned for 6 October in France, involving high school students, university students, and labor organizations.  The planned action follows nearly a week of escalated student demonstrations that have spread across the country.  Some demonstrations have involved clashes with police, arrests, and instances of violence.  A large turnout is expected. We expect local disruptions throughout France, and the likelihood of impacts on essential services and travel is increasing. 

The General Confederation of Labour (CGT) has announced that it will support and participate alongside high school and university students during the 6 October mobilization.  CGT-affiliated organizations representing education, public-sector employees, and public-finance workers have called on their members to participate, while energy-sector workers are expected to strike on 6 October.  Other CGT organizations and the transportation industry have also been encouraged to participate in demonstrations and strike action where existing strike notices apply.

Additional demonstrations, school blockades, and other spontaneous activity are likely before and around 6 October. Potential disruptions include:

• Clashes between protesters and police

• Blockades in and around schools

• Road closures and traffic congestion near demonstration sites

• Disruptions to public transportation

• Localized disruptions associated with demonstrations and strike activity

• Potential delays to other forms of transportation, depending on the location and scale of demonstrations

Individuals are encouraged to avoid travel near demonstration sites and areas where protests are taking place and to allow additional time for travel due to possible transportation disruptions, road closures, and localized security incidents. 

Mitigation Measures

• Enroll in a Safe Traveler program to receive warnings from your preferred embassy.

• Prepare for disruptions caused by protests, such as increased traffic and security, blocked roads, and potential travel into demonstration sites.

• Create contingency plans for disruptions in basic services.

• Confirm all travel plans prior to departure.

• Monitor the local situation (local and social media, embassy, POC at destination, etc.) prior to any travel.

• Allow extra time to travel to/from the destination, airport, and accommodations.

• Use app for airline flying with for most up-to-date flight status, if applicable

• Best practices for large-scale events or crowd situations: 

  • Remain alert for changes in the demeanor of the crowd body or any signs of violence or other rapid escalation.

  • Continually assess the situation and note routes (more than one is preferred) to get out of an area quickly if needed. 

  • Avoid interactions with aggressive individuals.

  • Avoid entering into areas or locations that could easily lead to a crowd crush situation (bottlenecked, very limited and/or unclear exit areas). 

    
    

DISCLAIMER and Hold Harmless Disclaimer: LSDS™ gathers information from multiple sources and offers insight and perspective to travelers. Sources cannot be validated for accuracy in every instance. Travelers assume all risk associated with their travel and are responsible for the decisions associated with travel and for their own safety. Users of this reference document agree, to hold harmless LSDS™ (LLC) its employees and clients associated with any risk or injury incurred during travel.