Hundreds of thousands protest across France during National Rally congress
An estimated 410,000 people participated in nearly 300 protests across France on 24 October, demonstrating against the cost of living and the education system. Meanwhile, in Orléans, thousands of counter-demonstrators marched against the National Rally's congress, where Marine Le Pen was launching her presidential campaign. Nearly 1,000 arrests were made nationwide as clashes and looting occurred, particularly in Paris, where police deployed water cannon and tear gas.
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French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that nearly 1,000 people were arrested during protests on Saturday, with the figure expected to increase. The government counted approximately 410,000 demonstrators across roughly 298 protests, though trade unions estimated turnout closer to 800,000. Nuñez acknowledged that most marches proceeded peacefully until police encountered "an extremely elevated level of violence" from "ultra-left" groups in the afternoon. Looting proved considerably more limited than the previous week, when some 3,000 businesses sustained damage. Police confiscated various weapons, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, a katana and airsoft guns.
In Paris, the demonstration initially remained calm before clashes erupted near the end of the march. Police deployed water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds along the Cours de Vincennes, while a gendarmerie helicopter monitored remaining groups, which authorities estimated at over 500 people. Two serious injuries occurred, including a 20-year-old man who lost several fingers. Authorities mobilised more than 70,000 police officers nationwide, leading shops to be boarded up and museums to close in several cities.
Concurrently, in Orléans, the National Rally convened its national congress as Marine Le Pen prepared to launch her presidential campaign. Thousands of counter-demonstrators, mobilised by approximately 50 political parties, trade unions and associations, marched against what they characterised as "racism, fascism and imperialism". Participants included La France Insoumise mayor Bally Bagayoko, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure and CGT union chief Sophie Binet. Authorities had anticipated between 20,000 and 30,000 demonstrators. Bagayoko rejected claims that protesters aimed to provoke violence, linking the National Rally's rhetoric and hateful speech more broadly to a fatal shooting that had occurred the previous day in Trappes, west of Paris.
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