France, Nov. 5 -- Spearheaded by high school students angry over poor conditions and lack of resources, the protests have fuelled a nationwide movement against the high cost of living, soaring prices and inadequate public services, drawing hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets over the past three weekends.

French authorities are expecting a large turnout of between 500,000 and 700,000 demonstrators across France on Thursday, excluding the Paris region, according to an intelligence memo revealed by RTL radio.

"The day is classified as high-risk," the document states, "with widespread violence against law enforcement and damage to public buildings anticipated."

Several major trade unions have joined forces and are calling on p...