CGT head Sophie Binet says 17 October day of action shows depth of public anger

Laurent Nuñez convened the prefects at 11:00 ahead of a day of protests planned for Saturday, 17 October. The action centres on purchasing power and, according to CGT head Sophie Binet, pulls together grievances ranging from the yellow vest movement to high school students.

Binet spoke to France Inter and said the mobilisation shows the depth of public anger. She argued that buying basics such as vegetables and fuel now counts as a luxury for many households.

“You have to understand how serious the situation is: today, buying tomatoes, courgettes or filling the tank has become a luxury consumption.”

She said millions of workers are struggling to make ends meet.