The public-sector demonstration on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 starts from the Place de la République (3rd, 10th and 11th arrondissements) at 2 p.m., aiming to reach the Place de la Nation (11th, 12th and 20th). Midway, at the Place de la Bastille, the firefighters join the procession after marching in from the Place d'Italie (13th).
All the public-sector unions are standing united today: CGT, FO, CFDT, UNSA, FSU, Solidaires, CFE-CGC and FA-FP. They have organized nationwide protests to push for higher pay for public workers.
Morning rallies are also taking place in Hauts-de-Seine and Val-de-Marne, as protesters head toward Paris.
The cross-union march leaves from Place de la République at 2 p.m., according to the CGT. It runs down the grand boulevards toward Bastille, then turns southeast toward Nation. Here is the full route:
The head of the march is taking shape at the corner of Boulevard du Temple and Rue de Crussol, according to CGT État. The route remains subject to the police prefecture, which can tweak it up until the last moment.
The firefighters have their own starting point. They will begin marching at 2:15 p.m. from Place d'Italie in the 13th arrondissement, crossing the Seine to reach the public service in Bastille. Their route:
Two rivers converging at the Bastille to form one river that runs to Nation: the image neatly captures the afternoon in store for eastern Paris.
The anger didn’t start yesterday. Since Sunday, September 27, firefighters have pitched a camp at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, maintained until this Tuesday. The move is part of a nationwide inter-union mobilization by the profession, launched three weeks ago.
Following a summer dominated by heatwaves and megafires, they are calling for more personnel and resources, as well as better working conditions. Their joint union bloc has, moreover, filed a strike notice that will run through October 20, 2026.
The order of the Republic’s procession has been set in advance. According to FO Essonne, the organizations will march in this sequence:
At the heart of the movement is the freeze on the index point, the metric that underpins how civil servants’ salaries are calculated. Announced in mid-September for the 2027 budget, it lands poorly as inflation continues to erode purchasing power. The CFDT Interco is calling for immediate, across-the-board salary measures, with the index point raised in line with prices.
In Paris, the protest also takes on a local dimension. The nine unions of the CGT Ville de Paris challenge the modest rise in municipal workers’ bonuses (only the Category C portion of the IFSE allowance increases, by 0.25%) and the upcoming mandatory provident scheme, which is slated to weigh on salaries from January 1, 2027.
The Paris demonstration remains the flagship regional event, but mobilization is also playing out in the inner and outer suburbs. Here is what the CGT mobilizations map records, supplemented by local union calls. The pattern is usually the same: a morning rally near home, then a march toward République.
On the school front, the minimum welcome service is organized by each municipality as soon as more than a quarter of the teachers at a nursery or primary school go on strike. The simplest thing is to check with your town hall.
A little-known trap for travelers: République station is no longer served by line 8 since July 22, 2026, due to renovation work slated to last nine months. Lines 3, 5, 9 and 11 remain the best alternatives, though closures may be announced on the day by the prefecture. For the firefighters’ parade, Place d’Italie is accessible via lines 5, 6 and 7.
The CGT-RATP has also launched an unlimited strike starting on Monday evening, September 28, with disruptions announced on the RER and Transilien. Before you set out, check your routes on the RATP or Île-de-France Mobilités, and follow our daily traffic and protests update.
If you’re not involved in the demonstration, steer clear this afternoon of the République-Bastille-Nation corridor, and also avoid the area around Place d’Italie, Gare d’Austerlitz, and Pont Morland. Streets will be closed, buses rerouted, and some stations will be temporarily shut as part of the plan. For schools, hospitals, and public administrations, see our article Paris strike on September 29, 2026: what to expect. And to get out anyway, our ideas for things to do on Tuesday, September 29 in Paris are waiting for you.
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