French authorities deployed 70,000 police officers across the country on Saturday as nationwide protests over the cost of living turned violent in several cities. Clashes erupted between demonstrators and riot police, with authorities reporting nearly 1,000 arrests and the use of tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. The Interior Ministry estimated 400,000 to 410,000 people participated in protests nationwide, while union organizers placed attendance at 800,000, including 250,000 in Paris—where police estimated 110,000 marchers.
Clashes and arrests dominate weekend protests
Protests began largely peacefully but deteriorated after nightfall, with demonstrators throwing objects and fireworks at police in Paris. Authorities reported two serious injuries, including a 20-year-old man in Toulouse who lost fingers to an explosion. In Paris, several thousand radical activists, including 500 identified rioters, gathered at the rear of the main demonstration, leading to two hours of clashes. Police conducted over 3,000 checks in the capital and arrested 65 people, while nationwide arrests reached nearly 1,000 by evening.
Officials described the level of violence as ‘extremely elevated’, with projectiles and fireworks aimed at law enforcement. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez noted that while some businesses were vandalized, the scale of looting was far smaller than the previous weekend, when 2,700 arrests were made and shops were looted in multiple cities. Authorities also reported far-right activists in southern cities like Cannes and Montpellier, who sought confrontations with ‘ultra-left militants’ or claimed to be protecting businesses.
Security measures and citywide disruptions
Central Paris resembled a city under lockdown, with shopkeepers boarding up storefronts, museums closing, and more than 20 metro stations suspended service. Police used water cannons in Nice and tear gas in Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille, and Marseille, where clashes between officers and hooded youths were reported. Authorities preemptively searched protesters, seizing items including fireworks and ball bearings before they could be used as weapons.
Divergent estimates and long-term concerns
Attendance figures varied widely between official and union estimates. Police reported 110,000 marchers in Paris, while union organizers placed the number at 250,000. Nationwide, the Interior Ministry counted 410,000 participants, compared to union claims of 800,000. Outside France, Chinese students in Paris described the unrest as a recurring issue, with some expressing concerns about the country’s social, economic, and political trajectory and the potential for further unrest to benefit the far-right.
The protests reflect broader dissatisfaction with the French government’s policies, though officials have not yet addressed specific demands from demonstrators. Authorities have pledged to maintain a heavy police presence to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s ‘cars torched’ and ‘city hall building set on fire’ in Limoges.