Protests across France turn violent over rising living costs and student issues

Cars were set on fire and shops were looted in Paris on Saturday as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent protesters. Demonstrators across France joined nationwide rallies against rising living costs and to support high school student grievances.

Arrests and Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's office reported a growing number of violent incidents nationwide, including assaults on police officers, looting, and damage to public buildings. Authorities made at least 272 arrests across the country, including in Paris. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at masked individuals throwing fireworks and paving stones in the Place de la République. In Lyon, about 20,000 protesters joined a march where a fire broke out inside a tourist office. In Marseille, shops and a municipal police station were damaged, and some protesters briefly entered City Hall. Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan called the City Hall damage limited and unacceptable. Nuñez's office also noted violence by masked groups in Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier, and Grenoble.

Peaceful Marches

Meanwhile, the majority of peaceful protesters joined a march moving toward northwestern Paris, chanting the national anthem, waving flags, and playing trumpets and violins. Protesters responded to social media calls to revive the yellow vest movement, expressing anger over spiked gasoline, energy, and food prices. Student groups have protested since mid-September through school blockades, and the CGT labor union backed the rallies to demand higher wages, lower prices, and public service protection.

Context

France has a long history of large-scale street protests and labor union strikes when citizens face economic pressure or government policy disputes. The yellow vest movement previously organized months of widespread demonstrations across the country starting in late 2018. Major cities frequently experience heavy security deployments and transport closures during such periods of civil unrest.