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France Mobilizes 70,000 Police for Nationwide Protests
· Confirmed
In Short: The main Paris march drew 110,000 people, according to police, while hundreds of protests were held nationwide, as per AFP and Modernghana (Ghana).
French authorities deployed 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across the country to manage protests over rising living costs, according to the Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, as reported by AFP and WXLV.
The main Paris march drew 110,000 people, according to police, while hundreds of protests were held nationwide, as per AFP and Modernghana (Ghana).
AFP and The Guardian reported that the protests began with high school students protesting over learning conditions, but quickly expanded to include broader concerns over the cost of living.
In Paris, police arrested 65 people and stopped over 3,000 for checks, while nationwide, 135 people were arrested and a variety of weapons seized, according to AFP and WXLV.
In Marseille, the march drew 17,000 participants according to police, and 100,000 according to unions, ending without incident, as reported by AFP.
In Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, and Toulouse, police fired tear gas to prevent protesters from reaching city centers, as noted by AFP and Spectator (Australia).
Union representative Murielle Guilbert told reporters it was 'scandalous' that President Emmanuel Macron had forbidden protesters from demonstrating 'where we wish to demonstrate,' as quoted by AFP.
Some demonstrators chanted 'We are not happy' as they peeled away from the main march, according to AFP.
Organizers called for rallies and a sit-in outside parliament and city halls nationwide, condemning the 'authoritarian drift' of Macron's government and urging citizens to stand up for 'public freedoms,' as reported by AFP.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu vowed a 'massive' police presence at fresh protests called for the coming weekend, as he faced criticism over the handling of recent street violence, according to Dailytrust.
President Macron said in a televised address that 'those who looted will have to pay back for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable,' as quoted by Arise.
Despite the large turnout and arrests, the protests reached their destinations without major incidents, as reported by AFP and Modernghana (Ghana).
What this adds
The protests, which began with high school students, have expanded to include broader concerns over the cost of living, as noted by The Guardian.
Despite the large police presence, the protests have largely remained peaceful, with only isolated incidents of looting, as reported by Modernghana (Ghana).
Background
Paris residents expressed dismay over the damage caused by protests that turned violent, with some describing the unrest as a 'wild horde' that set fire to a 143-year-old building, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar) and BBC (United Kingdom).
Protesters set fire to the tourism office in Lyon, France, during nationwide demonstrations against rising living costs on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
What's confirmed
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had warned that authorities "will not tolerate any violence or any disturbance of public order." French police had arrested 135 people nationwide and seized a variety of weapons, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said, adding that, so far, "there has been no major incident".
What's still developing
- The Yellow Vests also said they would hold another round of protests on October 31.
- "We are being reasonable; we understood that we needed to stay away from the shops. But the important thing is to be able to demonstrate," CGT regional general secretary Marc Pietrosino said.
- C’est très français.’ Strikes and demonstrations are so familiar in France that disruption is something people organise their lives around.
- “Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday,” the league said in a statement Sunday.
- "The same administration that invaded our city is now threatening to interfere with our right to vote," Aztlan Tenochtitlan, a spokesperson for 50501 SoCal, said in a statement.
- Police dispersed approximately 150 demonstrators near Lyon III University shortly before 11am after participants blocked traffic close to the prohibited perimeter.
- “Because I wonder if the majority of people who voted for him in the last election are in support of and say that they’ve voted for what’s happening right now,” she continued.
- Get the latest news and updates from Dawn Indian police detained the head of the Cockroach Janta Party, as well as thousands of protesters trying to take part in a major demonstration in New Delhi against the country’s election commissioner, the group said on Saturday.