France Vents Unrest in Its Third Weekend Amid Declining Protests and Early Street Conflicts

The third consecutive weekend of France’s social mobilisation brought together roughly 320,000 participants, including about 70,000 in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry.

This is a lower figure than on previous days of mobilisation: the government counted 410,000 participants on Saturday 24 October, compared with 550,000 on 17 October. The organisers, for their part, said they had counted 800,000 demonstrators on each of those two days.

The reduced turnout can partly be attributed to service interruptions. In Lyon, our correspondent Jean‑Philippe Liabot observed that “the trams and metro trains are running at half capacity”. In Paris, over 40 metro stations have been closed and tram services are also impaired.

Earlier that day, the Interior Ministry described the scene as “generally calm” and without “notable incident”. By 2 p.m., 27 arrests had been made, a decline from the 217 arrests recorded at the same time on 24 October.

Authorities put in place measures to limit disorder

However, authorities worry that Halloween evening may become a “pretext” for street clashes, as demonstrations begin to disperse in several major cities.

In Lyon, our reporter saw tear gas deployed as the protest approached Place Jean‑Macé, in the 7th arrondissement.

The Ministry of the Interior warned that “security forces will display maximum firmness toward those responsible for violence and damage”.

The rallies started last month as a student movement campaigning against under‑maintained facilities, teacher shortages and an education‑admission system perceived as inequitable for disadvantaged pupils.

While most participants remained peaceful, troublemakers frequently used fireworks and projectiles to target police. A few demonstrations escalated into rioting and looting, notably the unrest on 17 October, which caught the government off guard.

Police deployed tear gas, dispersal grenades, water cannons and other measures that caused serious injuries.

President Macron announced that Saturday’s marches would avoid central districts to safeguard shopfronts. Police prohibited entry to Place de la République and Les Halles between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

This weekend, unaccompanied minors are subject to a 9 p.m. curfew near the Champs‑Élysées, despite a Paris court’s Wednesday decision to cancel the earlier curfew on minors, which had been deemed an unlawful restriction on movement.

Demonstrations held in Germany, Italy and Spain

Anti‑social, housing and education concerns have sparked demonstrations in numerous European cities.

In Germany, the youth‑led campaign “Gen Z regelt” – often translated as “Gen Z’s got this” – has mobilised participants across many cities demanding better education, healthcare, climate action and an affordable standard of living, and opposing any resurgence of military conscription.

Organisers reported that more than 180,000 individuals had registered online, though only a few thousand had actually taken to the streets by Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday, a youthful contingent also assembled at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, calling for increased investment in education and housing.

In The Hague, Dutch police were deployed around the central commercial district following online rally calls and heightened fears of rioting and looting.

By mid‑afternoon, demonstration activity had waned and major disturbances were absent; local media noted that police conducted random checks on several groups of youths wearing black clothing, verifying their identities.

Numerous storefronts were boarded up, while Italian police responded to violent clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna.

In Barcelona, Catalan police prepared to raise the alert level after an anonymous TikTok group dubbed Blocus promoted new gatherings; last Saturday’s riots resulted in roughly 130 arrests, predominantly involving minors.

Protests also saw a surge of calls on TikTok across Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal.

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