France braces for mass protests as students, farmers, and yellow vests unite

France faces nationwide protests today as students, farmers, taxi drivers, and the returning "yellow vests" movement unite in demonstrations over rising living costs and government policy. The protests, which include school walkouts, highway blockades, and fuel depot actions, follow weeks of student unrest now entering its fourth week. Over 460,000 social media posts promoted the October 17 date, with groups from left to right citing fuel prices and declining purchasing power as common grievances. The government, constrained by high public debt and investor concerns, has scheduled a crisis meeting and warned of potential violence. Interior Minister Nuñez did not rule out using flash grenades, reversing a recent ban after a student lost a hand.