Updated 8 min 58 sec ago

October 14, 2026 03:24

Some 161,500 people turned out in the rallies, according to the interior ministry — more than double the 71,500 estimate it gave for demonstrations on Thursday last week.

Although most of the demonstrations were peaceful, violence erupted on the sidelines of one of two Paris marches that the interior ministry said drew 41,500 people.

Related

• The interior ministry reported 161,500 participants, more than doubling last week’s numbers
• The protests pose a significant challenge to President Macron as his term closes

AFP journalists saw some cars set on fire and police fired tear gas in the Invalides square as masked youths tried to erect barricades across roads and threw objects. Tear gas was also fired during a demonstration in Lyon.

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg took part in one demonstration in the Paris suburb of Saint‑Denis. She said she had joined the protests because “our future is being robbed.”

French unions said 480,000 people took part in the rallies and the numbers suggested increased street opposition to the government just six months before a vote for a successor to Macron, who is completing his maximum second mandate.

The latest agitation came as the centrist government launched a debate in parliament on a cost‑cutting budget, facing fierce opposition from the left and right, while France’s worsening debt has spooked the bond market.

Pressure will increase as on Saturday national demonstrations against the cost of living are to take place, and unions and student groups see the two protest currents merging.

The students have been given strong backing by the far‑left opposition France Unbowed (LFI) party whose leader and presidential hopeful Jean‑Luc Melenchon was seen among crowds in Paris.

Dialogue, ‘not repression’

Thousands also marched in the cities of Nantes, Lyon, Lens, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Marseille, according to police and AFP reporters.

“We stand in solidarity with the high schools that are worse off. We need real measures and proper dialogue, not repression,” said 16‑year‑old Emeline, outside a Marseille school.

“We’re here because we really feel we’re not being heard by the government,” said Nina, 17.

The student movement sprang up last month at lycees — high schools for those aged 15 to 18 — with students blocking the entrances to many schools to demand better classroom conditions.

Perceived heavy‑handed police action against the students drove many to join Tuesday’s demonstrations.

One teen lost his hand when he picked up a police stun grenade during the protests, while another lost an eye, and another teeth when an officer fired a teargas canister in his face.

Police have opened internal investigations into 36 allegations of violence against demonstrators, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez who said nearly 900 police has suffered injuries during the protests.

Some 147 teaching staff have been injured, the education ministry said.

“We’re not giving up the fight, whether it’s for the high school students who were hit with a harsh crackdown, or for denouncing police violence,” said Patricia, a 20‑year‑old university student in Paris who did not give her last name.

“We are continuing the blockades. We are not budging,” said Naouel, a high school student in Brest. She said she hoped the protests would continue after the half‑term holidays, in late October.

On Monday, Macron had urged restraint from protesters, saying the issues “deserve time, consultations, discussion and respect.”

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