French Police Deploy Tear Gas and 70,000 Officers as Nationwide Protests Turn Violent
- French police fired tear gas and deployed water cannons on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of protesters marched across France in a second wave of demonstrations over deteriorating...
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the government deployed 10,000 more police officers and gendarmes than on October 17, bringing the total security force to 70,000.
- Left-wing figures criticized the route change as an attempt to suppress the demonstrations.
French police fired tear gas and deployed water cannons on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of protesters marched across France in a second wave of demonstrations over deteriorating school conditions and the rising cost of living, Al Jazeera reported. Authorities deployed more than 70,000 security personnel nationwide to prevent a repeat of widespread looting and clashes that marred demonstrations a week earlier.
Government Mobilization and Security Restrictions in Paris
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the government deployed 10,000 more police officers and gendarmes than on October 17, bringing the total security force to 70,000. In Paris, local authorities ordered a last-minute route change for the union-organised march, shifting it away from the central Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation to the southeastern edge at Porte d’Italie.
Left-wing figures criticized the route change as an attempt to suppress the demonstrations. Once again, those in power are creating disruption for the marches and impossible deadlines for organizations to reorganize themselves,
hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon said, as reported by KSL News.
Ahead of the marches, much of central Paris took on the appearance of a lockdown. Retailers boarded up shop windows, at least 24 metro stations closed at police request, and cultural landmarks including the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Paris Opera shut their doors for the day, according to Al Jazeera and KSL News.
National Turnout and Clashes Across Cities
France’s Ministry of Interior recorded 410,000 protesters nationwide on October 24, 2026, including 110,000 in Paris. The CGT trade union confederation reported nearly double those figures, with TRT World noting a union-estimated nationwide turnout of 800,000. While the demonstrations began peacefully, tensions escalated by evening as night fell and temperatures dropped.
In Paris, police used tear gas and water cannons near Porte de Vincennes after individuals dressed in black bloc attire threw projectiles from the streets. Nunez stated that police arrested nearly 1,000 people nationwide by the end of the day, citing an extremely elevated level of violence in certain areas.
Confrontations also erupted outside the capital. TRT World reported that in Grenoble, roughly 400 masked individuals attacked police with mortars and projectiles, while shops were looted in Nantes. In Lille, police deployed water cannons against demonstrators throwing projectiles, and local prefectures in regions including Lille, Denain, and Douai extended curfews for unaccompanied minors through Monday morning.
The News International reported that police fired tear gas in Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille, and Nice, where a water cannon was deployed after crowds refused orders to pull back. In Marseille and Lyon, clashes broke out between hooded youths and police, with officers in Lyon using tear gas to disperse 150 protesters who attempted to block a road in a banned city-centre zone.
Origins of the Protest Movement and Political Stakes
The unrest stems from demonstrations that began in mid-September 2026, when high school students blockaded schools over dilapidated buildings, teacher shortages, and the Parcoursup university admission system. The movement subsequently absorbed wider discontent regarding inflation, inequality, and the administration of President Emmanuel Macron, drawing in remnants of the 2018 yellow vest protests.
The demonstrations arrive as France approaches a presidential election in six months, with Macron constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term and scheduled to leave office in 2027. Public opinion surveys indicate that Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally is the leading contender to succeed him.
On October 24, 2026, thousands of protesters marched in Orléans against the National Rally, which was holding its party congress in the city. The party confirmed the re-election of Jordan Bardella as its president with nearly 99 percent of the vote, ahead of speeches scheduled by Le Pen and Bardella to launch their presidential campaign.
Upcoming Rallies and Unresolved Demands
Ahead of the weekend protests, Macron met with student representatives on October 23, 2026, promising additional teachers and an overhaul of the university admission system. However, student leaders maintained that the concessions fell short of concrete action and called for continued mobilization.
Protest organizers have announced a fresh wave of demonstrations slated for the following Saturday, leaving open questions over whether further government negotiations can defuse the unrest before the political season intensifies.