Almost 1,000 arrested as clashes follow another day of mass protests across France
The Interior Ministry estimated 410,000 people joined Saturday demonstrations; unions put turnout at about 800,000, and clashes broke out late in several cities.
TL;DR
- French officials said police made nearly 1,000 arrests after protests on October 24.
- The Interior Ministry estimated turnout at 410,000, while unions estimated about 800,000.
- Demonstrations over living costs and school funding were mostly peaceful before clashes in several cities; the scale of arrests was still being updated.
Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated across France on October 24 over the cost of living and school funding. The Interior Ministry put attendance at 410,000, compared with about 800,000 estimated by unions; the estimates also differed for Paris, where authorities restricted the march to the city’s southeast. [1] [2]
The day was largely peaceful, but clashes followed the Paris march near its endpoint. BBC reporting described police using tear gas and water cannon in several cities, while barricades burned in Marseille and protesters dismantled boards from a shop in Bordeaux. AP also reported masked demonstrators throwing objects and fireworks as police responded with tear gas, sound grenades and water cannon. [1] [2]
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police had made nearly 1,000 arrests and expected the total to rise as counts continued. The government had deployed about 70,000 police and imposed restrictions in several cities. The protests followed a month of unrest that began with high-school demonstrations calling for more funding and teachers. [1] [2]
The two outlets reported different turnout estimates from the Interior Ministry and unions, and the final arrest total remained unsettled at publication. Officials said the latest demonstrations had not produced looting on the scale of the previous weekend, but the continuing protests leave open how the government will respond to demands over public services and living costs. [1] [2]
Why it matters
The demonstrations combine cost-of-living grievances with demands around education and public services, creating a domestic-governance challenge for President Emmanuel Macron in the final months before voters choose his successor in May. The turnout gap reflects competing estimates, not a settled count.
Editor's note
Turnout estimates are attributed separately to the Interior Ministry and unions. The arrest figure was described by officials as provisional.