FRANCE ERUPTS AGAIN: 70,000 SECURITY PERSONNEL DEPLOYED AS MASS PROTESTS OVER LIVING COSTS COLLIDE WITH POLICE
October 25, 2026
France witnessed another day of mass demonstrations on Saturday, October 24, as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest rising living costs, growing inequality and the government’s economic policies. Despite an unprecedented security operation involving 70,000 police officers and gendarmes, demonstrations that began largely peacefully deteriorated into clashes in Paris, Marseille and several other cities, reviving concerns about public order and the deepening social discontent confronting the French government.
The French Interior Ministry estimated that approximately 410,000 people participated in demonstrations nationwide, while trade unions argued that the actual turnout was roughly twice that figure. In Paris, at least 110,000 demonstrators gathered on the southeastern outskirts of the capital to voice their opposition to rising prices and widening economic inequality. What began as a large public mobilisation, however, became increasingly tense after the main rally concluded, when riot police deployed tear gas and water cannon against a group of approximately 500 hooded youths. The confrontation unfolded during cold and rainy conditions, and the group eventually dispersed.
The scale of the security deployment reflected the authorities’ determination to prevent a repetition of the widespread vandalism and looting that shook France on October 17. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez ordered 70,000 police officers and gendarmes to be mobilised across the country, an increase of 10,000 personnel compared with the previous week. Soldiers from an anti-terrorism military unit patrolled the Champs-Elysees in Paris, while police vehicles maintained a visible presence around the Arc de Triomphe and other prominent locations. Nunez urged officers to respond rapidly to attempts to attack businesses, public institutions and security personnel, warning that the day could bring further disturbances.
The authorities described the security operation as a response to the threat posed by groups they accused of exploiting demonstrations to commit acts of violence and theft. Nunez blamed far-left activists and criminal gangs for encouraging disorder, arguing that high-risk groups had repeatedly broken away from otherwise peaceful marches. He also warned that far-right activists had attempted to provoke confrontations with left-wing groups in the southern cities of Nice and Montpellier, suggesting that the unrest could develop along multiple political fault lines. Although the minister said the violence was less intense than during the previous weekend, he credited improved preparation and anticipation for the difference.
Marseille was among the cities affected by the renewed disturbances. Groups of youths reportedly set fire to rubbish bins to obstruct roads and threw rocks and bottles at security forces. Police said several businesses, including two jewellery shops, were ransacked. Clashes were also reported in Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Rennes, Nantes and Toulouse, demonstrating that the unrest was not confined to the French capital. The developments underscored the challenge facing authorities as they attempt to distinguish peaceful demonstrations from criminal activity while maintaining public safety during large gatherings.
Paris itself adopted the appearance of a city preparing for a major security emergency. Shopkeepers boarded up storefronts, luxury retailers strengthened their security arrangements and business organisations urged businesses to remain closed following the damage and looting reported across France the previous weekend. Several major cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Paris Opera, shut their doors as a precaution. More than 20 metro stations were also closed, disrupting movement around the capital and leaving visitors uncertain about where they could safely travel. The measures illustrated how the anticipation of violence had affected commercial activity, public transport and the city’s cultural life even before the demonstrations reached their most tense moments.
The location of the main Paris demonstration had itself become a source of controversy. Police sought to move organisers away from the city centre towards the southeastern outskirts, arguing that the originally proposed route presented serious risks because it passed through areas containing numerous businesses similar to those targeted during the previous weekend’s unrest. The decision angered sections of the political left, with Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the France Unbowed movement, accusing the authorities of creating unnecessary obstacles for protest organisers. Mélenchon joined the Paris demonstration and argued that the protests would continue until President Emmanuel Macron responded to the country’s social and economic grievances.
The movement’s origins lay in student demonstrations in the suburbs of Paris last month, when young people protested against conditions in schools. The mobilisation subsequently expanded beyond educational concerns, drawing in workers, students and trade union members opposed to rising living costs, inequality and the government’s economic policies. The widening participation reflects a broader convergence of grievances among groups concerned about household expenses, public services and their economic prospects. For many demonstrators, the protests have become a platform to challenge policies they believe are worsening the financial pressures experienced by ordinary people.
The demonstrations also exposed a sharp divide over the government’s response to the unrest. While officials emphasised the need to protect businesses, public institutions and citizens from violence, some protesters argued that the political establishment was giving greater attention to property damage than to the economic hardship driving public anger. Clara Lebbadi, a 22-year-old arts student who participated in the Paris rally, expressed frustration at what she regarded as the disproportionate attention given to damaged shops compared with people struggling financially. Her remarks reflected the sentiment among sections of the demonstrators that the country’s economic difficulties should not be overshadowed by the security crisis.
Political tensions were further heightened by a demonstration in Orléans, approximately 120 kilometres south of Paris, against Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, which was holding a party congress in the city. The authorised march proceeded peacefully, with demonstrators expressing opposition to the far-right movement. Bally Bagayoko, the mayor of Saint-Denis and a member of France Unbowed, said the gathering was intended to demonstrate that opponents of the far right would not be intimidated. The event added another dimension to a day already marked by disputes over economic policy, public order and political divisions.
A shooting west of Paris on Friday had also heightened tensions ahead of the demonstrations. The suspected gunman was believed to have acted out of Islamophobic hatred, killing one person and injuring four others, including a 12-year-old girl. The incident added to concerns about the security environment and the possibility of politically or ideologically motivated violence during an already volatile period. Although separate from the protests over living costs, the shooting contributed to the atmosphere of anxiety surrounding the weekend’s public gatherings.
France’s unrest also resonated beyond its borders. In Brussels, Belgian police used tear gas and pepper spray during clashes with anti-government demonstrators. Protests took place in several Italian cities for a second consecutive weekend, while demonstrations were also reported in Albania. The spread of protests across neighbouring countries suggested that the tensions were part of a wider period of public discontent, although the specific grievances and circumstances differed from one country to another.
The latest demonstrations present a serious political challenge for Macron, whose presidential mandate is due to expire next year. Mélenchon predicted that protests would continue unless the president addressed what he described as France’s deepening social malaise. His intervention reflected mounting pressure on the government to respond not only to episodes of violence but also to the economic and social concerns that have brought large numbers of people onto the streets.
The events of October 24 therefore exposed two simultaneous crises confronting France: the immediate challenge of maintaining public order and the deeper political question of how to respond to widespread dissatisfaction over living costs, inequality and public services. The deployment of 70,000 police officers and gendarmes demonstrated the government’s determination to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend’s disorder, yet the continued turnout of demonstrators showed that a large section of the public remained prepared to protest.
As clashes spread across several cities and the demonstrations reverberated beyond France, the central issue remained unresolved. Security measures may contain violence and protect vulnerable locations, but they cannot by themselves settle the economic and social grievances driving the mobilisation. France’s next challenge will be to prevent further disorder while addressing the concerns of citizens who believe their living conditions and public services are deteriorating. Without a credible response to those underlying issues, the country risks facing another cycle of mass demonstrations, political confrontation and unrest
