Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
A protester wearing a Spider-Man mask holds a red smoke flare during an authorised demonstration organised by labour unions in Paris as part of nationwide protests called by the "yellow vest" movement and joined by French high school and university students against the high cost of living and rising fuel prices. [Hannah McKay/Reuters]
Published On 25 Oct 2026

Clashes have erupted across France as hundreds of thousands of people marched against rising living costs, a week after protests descended into rioting and prompted a tough security response from President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police arrested nearly 1,000 people nationwide on Saturday and faced “an extremely elevated level of violence” from black-clad “ultra-left” demonstrators.

Riot police fired tear gas in Paris and other major cities, including Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille, Toulouse, Montpellier and Nantes as officers moved to disperse crowds and protect shops and public buildings.

Authorities deployed about 70,000 security personnel across the country for the latest demonstrations in a bid to prevent a repeat of the unrest from a week earlier when public buildings were vandalised, hundreds of businesses were looted and 2,700 people were arrested.

Nunez said Saturday’s outcome was more “positive”, citing faster police interventions, more pre-demonstration checks and stronger protection for commercial areas.

At least two people were seriously injured, including a man in Toulouse who reportedly had fingers blown off and another person in Clermont-Ferrand, Nunez said, without giving details.

Despite the government’s claims of an improvement, rights advocates and protesters voiced anger over what they saw as an assault on freedoms and the right to demonstrate, six months before the election to choose Macron’s successor.

Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
Hundreds of thousands of people across France marched on October 24, 2026, in a second wave of protests against deteriorating school conditions and the rising cost of living. [Abdul Saboor/Reuters]
Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
France’s Ministry of the Interior said 410,000 people protested nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris. The CGT, one of France’s largest union confederations, put both figures at nearly double the official totals. [Hannah McKay/Reuters]
Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
People attend a demonstration against "racism, fascism and imperialism" as the far-right National Rally party holds its congress in Orleans, France. [Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters]
Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
Authorities said 500 “rioters” clashed with law enforcement agents, but the level of violence was not comparable to confrontations during protests last weekend. [Jeremias Gonzalez/AP Photo]
Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
A protester at an authorised demonstration organised by a labour union in Marseille holds a French flag reading, "We are the future of France," on a monument dedicated to French reserves and militia who died during the Franco-Prussian War. [Manon Cruz/Reuters]
Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
The protests followed authorities announcing that more than 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were being deployed across the country as they were determined to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s violent demonstrations. [Manon Cruz/Reuters]
Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
On October 17, 2026, protests that had been largely peaceful were later marred by widespread looting, vandalism and clashes between young people and police. Thousands of businesses were damaged or ransacked. More than 2,000 people were taken into police custody, according to official figures. [Abdul Saboor/Reuters]
Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
On October 24, 2026, police arrested “nearly 1,000” people nationwide, Nunez said, adding that officers were confronted with “an extremely elevated level of violence”. Earlier in the day, police said more than 3,000 checks were conducted and 65 arrests made in Paris. [Hannah McKay/Reuters]
Clashes erupt in France amid protests over rising living costs
The protests began in mid-September when high school students blockaded their schools over what they described as deteriorating conditions, including dilapidated buildings and teacher shortages, as well as what they see as an unfair system for accessing higher education. [Jeremias Gonzalez/AP Photo]