France deploys 70,000 officers as youth protests enter third weekend
Tear gas and curfews mark the latest demonstration in a wave of European unrest over education and living costs.
By Lorenzo Patterson ·
French authorities mobilized 70,000 police and gendarmes on Saturday to manage a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations across the country. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez cited a very high risk of disorder, particularly during the Halloween evening hours. The government estimated that 320,000 people took to the streets, a number lower than previous weeks but still substantial. Organizers suggested the turnout was higher. The crowd size compares to 550,000 protesters on October 17 and 410,000 on October 24, according to official counts.
The movement began last month with high school students complaining about neglected buildings, teacher shortages, and an unfair university admissions system. Labor unions and others critical of President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership joined the rallies. Grievances now include the cost of living and climate policy. In the main Paris march, separate banners represented high school students, climate activists, and residents struggling with inflation.
Corentin Cabreux, a 21-year-old student, described his living conditions in a state-run residence. He reported damp stains along the bottom of his walls, peeling sections, and an infestation of cockroaches and rats. An information technology worker joined the crowd in solidarity with her mother, who works a minimum wage job. A gray-haired woman held a sign reading The Old are Fed Up Too. Cléo Farenc, a 30-year-old gallery assistant, wore a costume of a beheaded Marie-Antoinette to symbolize a figure of power brought down by the people.
The Paris march generally remained peaceful and joyful for hours. Techno music played from speakers, and some participants went trick-or-treating. A police helicopter hovered overhead as the sun set. The mood changed near Porte de Charenton, where the march ended. Protesters threw glass bottles and fireworks at police. Officers responded with stun grenades and tear gas. Smoke filled the streets as dusk fell, and many peaceful marchers coughed and streamed into the nearby Bois de Vincennes.
Police reported more than 560 arrests nationwide by Saturday night. This figure is lower than the thousands arrested during riots and looting in the previous two Saturdays. Paris police imposed a curfew on unaccompanied minors around the Champs-Elysees from 9 p.m. They also barred people from Place de la Republique and Les Halles from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. A Paris court suspended an earlier curfew for minors on Wednesday, calling it a serious and illegal infringement of freedom of movement.
Similar youth-led protests occurred in Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands. In Germany, a group called Gen Z regelt rallied in more than 30 cities. Organizers said tens of thousands participated, though official figures were not immediately available. In Berlin, students gathered at the Brandenburg Gate to demand more investment in education and housing. Lara Breitenbach, a high school student, said authorities must invest more in social services and climate protection because young people will live with the consequences the longest. Janelle Schulz noted that her school’s ceiling is collapsing due to water damage and that toilets are broken.
Violence flared in some German cities on Saturday night. In Frankfurt, rioters smashed storefronts and stole goods, including weapons from a gun store that police later retrieved. They also threw Molotov cocktails at police. In Cologne, police ended a march early after protesters used pyrotechnics and covered their faces despite a ban. In Hamburg, protesters burned barricades and shot pyrotechnics toward police, who responded with water cannons and tear gas.
In Lisbon, thousands of protesters, including families with small children, gathered peacefully to address the housing crisis. They held placards reading Houses or Fire and We are not Afraid. Some carried small cardboard houses. In The Hague, the Netherlands, a strong police presence surrounded the downtown shopping area after online appeals for protests. Many stores boarded up as a precaution. No major disturbances occurred by midafternoon.
