French government says 320,000 people protested nationwide on Saturday, fewer than in previous weeks
The Interior Ministry said 320,000 joined the marches as police reported arrests and clashes after dark in several cities.
- Hundreds of thousands of mostly young protesters marched across France on Saturday against rising living costs and education conditions, with youth-led demonstrations also spreading to Germany and Italy.
- The movement began last month with high school students protesting neglected school buildings and unfair university admissions, then broadened to include labor unions and activists angry over inflation and inequality.
- Government estimates indicate 320,000 people rallied nationwide, including 70,000 in Paris, where authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel and rerouted marches to the city's outskirts to prevent unrest.
- Although marches remained largely peaceful for hours, clashes erupted near the end of the procession as protesters threw projectiles, prompting police to respond with tear gas, stun grenades, and baton charges.
- The demonstrations occur amid a febrile political climate, with presidential elections six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen currently leading opinion polls, creating pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government.
431 Articles
431 Articles
More than 320,000 people in the square in France, but in Paris the protest degenerates: Molotov and pyrotechnic rockets against agents, damaged windows and tear gas. You also encounter in Lyon and Marseilles. The article New revolts in the mestican France. Paris, rockets against law enforcement comes from The Truth.
For the third consecutive Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people protested in France against expensive life and for public services. Although the processions took place in general in a calm manner, according to the Minister of the Interior, clashes broke out in several cities. A total of 565 people were arrested.
When youths move, society changes: The 2026 barricades, By Owei Lakemfa
The ongoing mass protests in France were ignited and led by students. They are the segment of society to which all shades and classes of society belong. When such a class reaches consensus and hits the streets, as it has done in parts of Europe in the last few weeks, change in society is likely […]
The third weekend of protests in France has been accompanied by lower participation than in the previous two mobilizations, while tensions and clashes have been recorded in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other major cities. According to the French Interior Ministry, about 320,000 people took part in Saturday's protests across the country, 70,000 of them in Paris, reports the Telegraph. This figure is significantly lower compared to the 410,000 parti…
Why French police are worried despite less violence, fewer arrests at protests
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez initially declared national protests on Saturday “went well”, with numbers well down on previous weeks. Hours later, though, Nunez was again condemning “very serious acts of violence” against law enforcement following clashes between police and demonstrators, particularly in Paris. While reports of violence and arrests were lower than in previous weeks, authorities in France are nonetheless bracing for more…
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