Unions and activist groups have piled onto the cause to amplify the demonstrations. The gilets jaunes, a leaderless movement that came together in 2018 to protest fuel-tax increases and eventually the cost of living, set the date for the 17 October action in early September.
Morder added that when something truly problematic is felt on a large scale, people will demonstrate to make their voices heard and demand a change or adjustment in policy. Groups like No Kings may mobilize parts of the population not previously involved in activism, showing widespread anger against authoritarianism.
In France and beyond, footage of young people in the streets has created solidarity among young people. Robi Morder, a jurist and political scientist specializing in student movements, explained that the demonstrations drew strength from unity rather than size alone.
While high school and university students have their own unions to represent them in talks with the government, their walkouts lack the legal standing that workers possess. That alliance with workers provides crucial leverage that high schoolers lack.
Students in metropolitan France have been mobilizing against poor conditions in public high schools since mid-September. The mouvement lycéen has spread from a single campus in a Parisian suburb to include high schoolers and university students nationwide.
Public sector workers, climate activists, labor unions, and everyday people have joined the demonstrations in solidarity. This broad coalition has bolstered the student movement through a strong network of unions across French society.
The ongoing resolve of the demonstrators highlights how ingrained protest culture is in France.