Hundreds of thousands march across France as cost-of-living protests turn violent

France experienced significant social unrest on Saturday 24 October as approximately 410,000 people participated in roughly 298 protests nationwide, according to government estimates, though organisers claimed the figure reached 800,000. The demonstrations were organised in response to rising living costs and ongoing problems within the education system. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that nearly 1,000 people were arrested, with further arrests expected, and that 53 police officers sustained injuries. He characterised the violence as substantially less severe than the previous week, when approximately 3,000 businesses were looted or damaged.

In Paris, a initially peaceful march deteriorated into violent clashes near the Cours de Vincennes, where police identified more than 500 rioters at the rear of the demonstration. Law enforcement deployed tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds, and a gendarmerie helicopter was mobilised to track remaining groups. Authorities deployed over 70,000 police officers across French cities, and many shops were boarded up whilst museums closed as a precaution. Among those injured was a 20-year-old man who suffered the loss of several fingers.

The protests coincided with the National Rally's party congress in Orléans, where Marine Le Pen was launching her presidential campaign. Thousands of counter-protesters, including Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure and CGT union chief Sophie Binet, assembled to oppose what they characterised as