Paris
|
Oct. 24, 2026, 1:23 p.m. ET
|
5 min read
Clashes broke out as a mass march concluded in Paris on Saturday, one week after widespread rioting and looting. Over 400,000 demonstrators gathered nationwide to protest school funding and escalating living costs, posing a new challenge to President Emmanuel Macron’s administration.
Large demonstrations also struck numerous European cities Saturday, from Milan and Madrid to Lisbon and Tirana, although French protests have drawn the most global focus. The movements cover a wide array of concerns, including education, corruption, anti‑war sentiment, pensions and housing.
In Paris the march started peacefully, but near its endpoint at Porte de Vincennes, some demonstrators hurled projectiles. Police responded with bursts of tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
The Interior Ministry estimated a total turnout of 410,000 nationwide, with 110,000 in Paris. Authorities had limited the capital’s demonstration to its southeastern outskirts, keeping protesters away from central districts still reeling from last weekend’s violence.
In other French cities, police deployed tear gas in Lyon, Clermont‑Ferrand and Strasbourg, and used water cannons in Nice and Nantes, according to media reports. In Marseille, officers fired tear gas during scuffles with a small group near the march’s endpoint.
The disorder is putting President Macron’s authority to the test as his term nears its end and voters prepare to elect his successor in May. The stakes are high, with the far‑right National Rally accusing his government of insufficient protection and urging citizens to turn their frustration into ballots.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had ordered the deployment of as many as 70,000 officers nationwide, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons.
Trade unions led the procession, followed by demonstrators dressed in raincoats who brandished flags and handcrafted signs.
Camille Chesnier, who holds both an engineering degree and a master’s, said she had been unable to secure employment. “There are huge numbers of people in the same situation as me but who aren’t privileged and who find themselves living on the streets and in squats and, frankly, it’s very tough,” she added.
A small protest became a national movement
What started last month as a protest over staff shortages at a single high school southeast of Paris has swelled into a nationwide movement. It now draws students demanding improved schools and workers seeking higher wages and better pensions.
In Paris, teacher Bénédicte Pittion marched through steady rain alongside her daughter Garance, a high school student. Although they had supported the cause from its inception, this was their first time protesting together.
“The young people who have been demonstrating have not been heard, and as a parent and as a teacher, I stand with them,” Ms. Pittion said.
Garance said she had been “really scared” to attend after seeing images of last weekend’s violence, but argued that staying away would give the government a victory.
According to Education Ministry data, public middle and high schools lost 15.4 million teaching hours in the 2024‑25 academic year because absent teachers were not replaced. This represents 7.5 % of scheduled instruction time.
President Macron met with high‑school representatives on Friday. The officials said he had pledged to overhaul university admissions but urged protesters to keep demonstrating until concrete steps are announced.
Organizers from the “yellow vest” movement announced a fresh day of rallies for Oct. 31, pledging to defend the right to protest.
Some protests were banned
Soumaya Abed, a nurse wearing a red CGT union vest, said she had been participating in protests for over 30 years, but had never witnessed a demonstration begin at Porte d’Italie on the city’s outskirts.
“They are using what happened last week as an excuse to quiet protesters,” she said. “But it won’t stop the movement. It won’t stop students from demanding better conditions in schools.”
In Marseille, police counted 17,000 participants, whereas the CGT union put the figure at 100,000. In Toulouse, authorities reported 26,500 demonstrators. Meanwhile, authorities had banned rallies in several cities, including Lyon, Nice and Montpellier.
Trade unions have condemned the bans as violations of freedom of expression, a right safeguarded by the constitution.
Thousands also marched Saturday in Orléans, south of Paris, in a separate peaceful demonstration against the far right as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally convened a two‑day congress in the city.
Mr. Macron, a centrist, has faced the crisis in the waning months of his presidency, with his approval rating at its lowest point since he took office in 2017. He maintains that the measures are essential to safeguard city centers, businesses and public buildings.
Mr. Nuñez admitted on Monday that police had lost control in certain cities during last weekend’s unrest, when over half a million demonstrators took to the streets and roughly 3,000 shops nationwide were damaged or looted in violence not witnessed in many years.
He offered his resignation, but Mr. Macron declined.
Shops board up and museums close
Gendarmes stood guard beneath the Arc de Triomphe on Saturday, while shopkeepers boarded up storefronts throughout Paris. Near the Saint‑Lazare train station, contractor Akram Ahmed was securing an optician’s shop.
“I got the call last night,” he said. “The owner seemed desperate. He said I was saving his life.”
Major museums — the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais, home to a significant Cézanne exhibition — were closed on Saturday.
Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art fairs, opened to the public on Friday but only for a single day, as the risk of further unrest led organizers to cancel the weekend program.
Students and workers are angry
Student groups are demanding 250,000 additional spots in higher education and an end to selection through Parcoursup, the national admissions system. Their joint 10‑point plan also seeks more teachers and repairs for schools and universities.
They are also pushing for financial relief, calling for an extra €200 ($224) per month in student grants and a rent freeze in publicly subsidized student housing.
Energy prices in France rose 21.3 % year‑on‑year in September, contributing to an overall inflation rate of 3.1 %, according to the national statistics agency INSEE.
Paris protester Louis Ledoux‑Xatard expressed frustration over inequality. “Looking at countries like the United States, we don’t want to end up like them, where part of the population has everything and the others have nothing,” he said. “I never imagined that I’d be taking to the streets so much before my thirties.”
Soldiers guard center of Milan
Protests also erupted across Europe, including in Milan, Madrid and Lisbon, focusing on education, corruption and housing. In Milan, soldiers were deployed and luxury boutiques boarded up as thousands demonstrated, following last week’s looting and clashes. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced stricter penalties for minors, whom police identified as a significant portion of the violence. Security was reinforced with soldiers, police and drones, and the city’s mayor endorsed the heightened presence.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Tom Nouvian, Samuel Petrequin, Sylvie Corbet, Colleen Barry, Demetris Nellas, and Sylvia Hui contributed.