France

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From: Inside Story

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Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs

A protester wearing a Spider-Man mask holds a red smoke flare during an authorised demonstration organised by labour unions in Paris as part of nationwide protests called by the "yellow vest" movement and joined by French high school and university students against the high cost of living and rising fuel prices. [Hannah McKay/Reuters]

Hundreds of thousands of people across France marched on October 24, 2026, in a second wave of protests against deteriorating school conditions and the rising cost of living. [Abdul Saboor/Reuters]

France’s Ministry of the Interior said 410,000 people protested nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris. The CGT, one of France’s largest union confederations, put both figures at nearly double the official totals. [Hannah McKay/Reuters]

People attend a demonstration against "racism, fascism and imperialism" as the far-right National Rally party holds its congress in Orleans, France. [Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters]

Authorities said 500 “rioters” clashed with law enforcement agents, but the level of violence was not comparable to confrontations during protests last weekend. [Jeremias Gonzalez/AP Photo]

A protester at an authorised demonstration organised by a labour union in Marseille holds a French flag reading, "We are the future of France," on a monument dedicated to French reserves and militia who died during the Franco-Prussian War. [Manon Cruz/Reuters]

The protests followed authorities announcing that more than 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were being deployed across the country as they were determined to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s violent demonstrations. [Manon Cruz/Reuters]

On October 17, 2026, protests that had been largely peaceful were later marred by widespread looting, vandalism and clashes between young people and police. Thousands of businesses were damaged or ransacked. More than 2,000 people were taken into police custody, according to official figures. [Abdul Saboor/Reuters]

On October 24, 2026, police arrested “nearly 1,000” people nationwide, Nunez said, adding that officers were confronted with “an extremely elevated level of violence”. Earlier in the day, police said more than 3,000 checks were conducted and 65 arrests made in Paris. [Hannah McKay/Reuters]

The protests began in mid-September when high school students blockaded their schools over what they described as deteriorating conditions, including dilapidated buildings and teacher shortages, as well as what they see as an unfair system for accessing higher education. [Jeremias Gonzalez/AP Photo]