French cost-of-living protests draw 410,000 as police use tear gas in several cities

Clashes alongside peaceful marches

Authorities sought to avoid a repeat of the violence and looting that accompanied demonstrations the previous weekend. AFP journalists reported a quieter start in some cities, but confrontations developed in several places.

In Nantes, officers blocking a bridge across the Loire River used tear gas and a water cannon, while some protesters launched small projectiles toward them. An AFP journalist in Lyon saw police disperse roughly 150 people who had gathered in a zone where demonstrations were prohibited. Protesters in both Lyon and Toulouse were seen trying to kick tear gas canisters back.

Paris's only authorized march set off from Porte d'Italie at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT), with hundreds initially walking in a calm, festive atmosphere. At Bastille, police announced that demonstrations were banned there and directed people to the authorized route near Porte d'Italie. Later, the front of the march reached Porte de Vincennes without incident. As participants dispersed under police watch, some chanted, "We are not happy."

Several thousand people also marched through heavy rain in Bordeaux shortly after 2 p.m. No police were visible at the head of the procession. "No cops, no problems," a CGT member said with a laugh. In Lille, the march began more calmly than the previous week's demonstration, although some participants chanted "ACAB."

A larger police deployment and widespread closures

More than 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed nationwide. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the force was 20% larger than the previous weekend's. The elite RAID unit also took part, with Nunez specifying that its role was to support other police operations, not to control crowds.

By Saturday afternoon, police reported at least 135 arrests across France and the seizure of various weapons. In Paris, they reported 65 arrests after more than 3,000 checks. Al Jazeera reported the deployment, arrest figures and competing turnout estimates.

Restrictions also disrupted travel and cultural events in the capital. At the police prefecture's request, at least 24 metro stations closed. The Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay shut for the day, while Art Basel Paris canceled its weekend program.

Many Paris retailers protected their windows with boards. Armelle Gueganton, a bookseller in the 12th arrondissement, told AFP she did not know what to expect and questioned the authorized march route, noting that some stretches were extremely narrow.

A 21-year-old student demonstrating in Lyon described the difficulty of regrouping after police interventions. Officers' vehicles allowed them to move faster than protesters and break up gatherings before they could form, he told AFP.

Protesters describe fear and financial strain

For some young participants, attending meant overcoming fears about injuries. Appoline, 25, told AFP in Lille that images of police violence had left her "terrified" to join. Seeing young people lose eyes or hands, she said, "makes me sick". In Toulouse, 17-year-old student Ella also expressed fear of being hurt but insisted that "we can't give up".

Others described anger over the cost of everyday life. Lucie, a 42-year-old designer at the Bordeaux march, called the previous weekend's violence "unfortunate" but also "a form of anger that one can understand". In Marseille, 22-year-old Aliyah identified rising costs as people's main concern.

Aurore, a Paris protester, told AFP that participants wanted to demonstrate peacefully but that their anger was real, saying they had been "walked all over for 10 years". Near Porte de Vincennes, car rental employee Dominique drew a distinction between protesters and rioters: her complaint, she said, was with those who came to destroy property and steal.

From school blockades to a broader movement

The demonstrations began in mid-September with high school students blockading their schools. Their complaints included buildings they described as dilapidated, a shortage of teachers and a higher-education admissions system they considered unfair. The movement subsequently expanded to encompass living costs, inequality and opposition to President Emmanuel Macron's presidency.

Official figures put participation in the October 17 protests at more than half a million, with over 2,000 people taken into police custody.

Macron held his first meeting with representatives of the student movement on Friday, October 23. He pledged additional teachers and a substantial overhaul of Parcoursup, the university admissions system. The talks did not ease tensions: student representatives urged continued mobilization until the government offered concrete action, according to Al Jazeera.

Economic pressures ahead of the election

Figures from France's statistics agency Insee, reported by CNBC, show the economic backdrop to the protests. Unemployment rose to 8.3% in the second quarter of 2026, representing 2.7 million people, while the rate for those ages 15 to 24 reached 21.6%.

September consumer prices were 3.1% higher than a year earlier, compared with an annual increase of 2.4% in August. Energy prices rose 21.3%. Insee also projected a 0.7% decline in purchasing power per consumption unit for 2026.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's proposed 2027 budget seeks to reduce a deficit projected at 5.4% of GDP in 2026. Its measures include a freeze on the civil service pay index and tighter reimbursement for sick leave.

The protests come six months before a pivotal presidential election. Macron cannot seek a third consecutive term under the constitution and will leave office in 2027. Recent polls have shown far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading the presidential field by a wide margin.