Protests across France draw hundreds of thousands as police and demonstrators clash

Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated across France on Saturday in actions that joined ongoing high-school student protests with broader demands over living costs and public services. Police used tear gas in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities as groups of demonstrators clashed with officers. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said about 550,000 people took part nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris. The CGT union put the figure above 500,000.

The student movement began in mid-September in the northern suburbs of Paris over teacher shortages, overcrowded classes and poor facilities. It expanded after reports of injuries during earlier police interventions, including a case involving a 15-year-old. Saturday’s call brought in trade unions, former Yellow Vest participants, farmers and others focused on fuel and food prices, wages and the budget.

By midday, the Interior Ministry recorded 140 actions involving roughly 32,800 people outside Paris. Arrests exceeded 250 by early afternoon and later reports put the total higher. In Marseille, protesters entered the town hall and damaged the interior before being dispersed. Cars and bins were set alight in several locations. Authorities described some violence as the work of ultra-left elements.

In Paris, a march left Place de la République toward Place de Clichy. Water cannons were deployed. Scuffles occurred as masked groups confronted police. One protester, a 19-year-old named Lola, said the demonstrations concerned high fuel prices, attacks on high-school students, and the need for more teachers and better conditions. Unions called for higher wages and pensions and protection of public services.

The protests take place as President Emmanuel Macron’s government seeks to pass a cost-cutting budget amid rising debt and market pressure. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for next year. The student blockades earlier in the month closed hundreds of lycées on peak days. Saturday fell on the first day of school holidays, which may have affected turnout among students while allowing wider participation.

Earlier student actions in October drew between 160,000 and 480,000 people depending on the source. Saturday’s fusion of the education demands with the cost-of-living agenda produced the largest single-day mobilisation in recent weeks. Government statements emphasised that violence would not determine political outcomes. Investigations into specific incidents of property damage and clashes continue.

The dual character of the demonstrations—school conditions on one side, purchasing power and public spending on the other—reflects overlapping pressures on French households and institutions. How the government responds on teacher recruitment, school investment and the budget will shape whether the movement continues into November, when further union actions are planned.