France Shifts G7 Meeting to Paris as Demonstrations Continue

France has shifted next week’s G7 foreign ministers’ meeting from Marseille to Paris, a late change announced to delegations on Wednesday. The gathering is scheduled for November 9 and 10 as part of France’s G7 presidency.
In correspondence reviewed by Reuters, organizers cited logistical and operational reasons, including the demands of holding the meeting close in time to the Paris Peace Forum. France’s foreign ministry confirmed the venue change but provided no further details.
The move comes during a period of demonstrations across France. The Associated Press reported that trade union members and students held rallies in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities on Thursday, calling for higher wages and supporting a student protest movement.
Reuters reported that the demonstrations began with student concerns about school conditions and young people’s prospects before widening into broader protests. The unrest has placed added demands on security services, but officials’ stated explanation for moving the meeting was logistical.
The G7 brings together France, the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan, alongside the European Union. The change means delegations and journalists who had planned to gather in Marseille will instead travel to the capital for the two-day meeting.
Sources: Reuters; Associated Press.