France protests turn to clashes as 320,000 march
France protests turned violent in several cities on Saturday, as hundreds of thousands marched against soaring living costs and police violence. Police fired tear gas and mounted baton charges in Paris, while clashes were also reported in Lyon and Toulouse, even though most of the third consecutive weekend of nationwide protests stayed peaceful.
Authorities said some 320,000 people rallied across France, including 70,000 in Paris. Youth organisations put the national total far higher, at nearly half a million, including 200,000 in Paris. The gap between the two counts is normal for large French protests, and both figures point to a movement that has not lost momentum after three weekends.
Some demonstrators marched in Halloween costumes, dressed as clowns, witches, Spider-Man, and Frankenstein. Placards read: “No need for tear gas to make our future look bleak” and “Dressed up as an angry citizen for Halloween.” A helicopter circled overhead as thousands walked through eastern Paris in bright sunshine.
France protests: where clashes broke out
In Paris, trouble began after a march on the outskirts of the city reached its final destination. Dozens of masked people dressed in black used hammers to pry up paving stones and hurl them at police. At least one incendiary device was also thrown at security forces.
Police responded with tear gas and several baton charges. The police prefecture said a hard core of several hundred rioters at the rear of the march attacked police with projectiles, including a Molotov cocktail, and that officers were seeking to restore public order.
In Lyon, France’s third-largest city, people threw projectiles at police, prompting officers to fire tear gas, according to a journalist at the scene. In Toulouse, in the south, police used water cannon against an unauthorised protest that drew several thousand people, mostly young demonstrators.
From preview to outcome: what changed on Saturday
Saturday’s outcome followed a tense build-up. Before the protests, Feature Pakistan reported that France had put 70,000 police on duty for the Halloween protests, with shops in Paris and other cities boarding up windows and more than 40 Paris metro stations set to close.
Why people are marching
The protest movement brings together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions, and high school and university students. It began with the rising cost of living, inequality, and deteriorating learning conditions. Those issues remain at its centre.
“We say no to the cost of living, no to the far right, yes to high school students’ demands, yes to giving citizens a voice,” said Camille Guerin, 31, a demonstrator in the western city of Nantes. Her words capture the mix of economic and political demands that now drives the movement.
Following a security clampdown and injuries to some protesters, the movement broadened its demands to include civil liberties and the right to protest. Thousands of young Germans took to the streets nationwide on Saturday, as covered in Germany Gen Z protests turn tense as water cannon used.
France protests and the election ahead
The demonstrations come with presidential elections less than six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen topping opinion polls. President Emmanuel Macron said this week it was not normal for France to be in such turmoil so close to a vote.
What happens next
Frequently asked questions
How many people took part in the France protests?
Authorities said 320,000 people rallied across France, including 70,000 in Paris. Youth organisations estimated nearly 500,000 across the country, including 200,000 in Paris.
Where did clashes break out?
Clashes broke out in Paris, where police used tear gas and baton charges, in Lyon, where police fired tear gas, and in Toulouse, where police used water cannon against an unauthorised protest.
What are the France protests about?
The protests began over the rising cost of living, inequality, and deteriorating learning conditions. They have since broadened to include civil liberties and the right to protest, after a security clampdown and injuries to some protesters.
How does this protest compare with earlier weekends?
This was the third consecutive weekend of nationwide protests. Police had prepared for violence comparable to the unrest two weeks ago, when shops were looted and public buildings set ablaze, but Saturday’s violence was more contained than that weekend.
