A third weekend on the streets, smaller than the last two
About 320,000 people demonstrated across France on Saturday, according to the interior ministry, with 70,000 of them in Paris. Organizers put the national figure at close to half a million. Either way, turnout slipped from the two previous weekends: the ministry had counted 410,000 a week earlier and 550,000 on October 17.[S1][S5]
The marches drew students, who started organizing in September, together with trade unions and a smaller group of anti-establishment Yellow Vest protesters. Their shared grievances centered on living costs, expensive fuel, rising inflation and the government of President Emmanuel Macron.[S1]
In Paris, far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whose standing has improved in recent weeks before next April's presidential election, walked at the front of the procession. The country's highest administrative court had let stand a ban on a route linking the Nation and Bastille squares, turning back a union challenge, so authorities permitted a path along boulevards on the capital's eastern side, away from central shopping areas.[S1]
Scuffles at dusk and warnings for Halloween night
The afternoon passed largely without incident, but trouble erupted as marches ended. Riot officers charged to break up small groups in Paris, tear gas was fired in Lyon and Toulouse, and tensions surfaced at the close of unauthorized gatherings in Marseille before calm returned after nightfall.[S1][S2][S3][S8]
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the security forces had held their positions and kept city centers safe, while acknowledging that officers had met considerable violence. He added that the authorities expected scattered trouble later in the evening and were prepared to answer firmly anyone seeking confrontation.[S1]
The ministry said radical elements had tried to split off from marches in Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and Marseille intending damage and looting, but were stopped. Checks at rail stations and on roads turned up people carrying objects usable as weapons, and officials warned that Halloween masks could hide rioters' identities, noting that police may bar face coverings when public order is at risk.[S1]
Anger that reaches beyond France's borders
The French movement has encouraged youth-led Gen-Z protests elsewhere in Europe, with demonstrations in several German cities on Saturday and actions in Italy as well.[S1][S4][S6][S7]
A 15-year-old pupil from Nogent-sur-Marne, Aaron Berthier de Grandry, said he had been raised to believe the young were the future, and argued that if France's future generation lacks resources, the country will end up collapsing. He was preparing for a third straight weekend of protesting.[S1]
Another marcher in Paris, Jerome Rodriguez, contended that the economy performs poorly whatever happens because the country is run by people he called incompetents who juggle billions while families struggle over small sums. He said the crowd was there to voice its demands ever more loudly in the hope of a government response, which he judged very unlikely.[S1]
A government squeezed by finances and politics
The protests arrive at an awkward juncture for the executive. On Friday, ratings agency Fitch unexpectedly moved its outlook on French debt to negative, highlighting investor unease about the public finances. With debt approaching 120 percent of economic output and borrowing costs climbing, the government faces growing pressure to restrain spending, which narrows its options.[S1]
Data released Friday showed the economy had already contracted in the third quarter. The Chamber of Commerce estimates retailers have suffered losses over the three weeks of unrest. The US Embassy advised travelers to stay away from places where demonstrations or large gatherings were scheduled.[S1]
Politically, the turmoil has benefited far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who tops opinion polls before April's election, while centrist figures who might succeed Macron remain split. The unrest began gathering force in late September, when Macron's minority government opened talks on its 2027 budget, and promises to overhaul education and ease fuel prices have not quieted the discontent.[S1]
