People in France are protesting over the rising cost of living, including fuel prices, and poor conditions in schools, after weeks of student-led demonstrations grew into nationwide marches in October 2026.
On Saturday, October 24, 2026, the interior ministry estimated that 410,000 people protested across France, while unions put the figure at about 800,000. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said nearly 1,000 people were arrested after clashes late in the day in cities including Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon. About 70,000 police officers were deployed, and President Emmanuel Macron had decreed that only marches organized by recognized trade unions were allowed. The previous weekend, about 550,000 people marched, and the looting and rioting that followed led to more than 2,500 arrests and damage to more than 2,000 businesses. Protesters told the BBC they feel overtaxed and abandoned by the government. The unrest comes about six months before France’s next presidential election.
Source: BBC News, Almost 1,000 arrested as clashes follow another day of mass protests across France
Image: file photo of a 2020 protest march in Paris, by Paule Bodilis, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.