400,000 march in France as 70,000 police guard the streets

French authorities mobilized more than 70,000 police officers for demonstrations held across the country on Saturday, October 24. The government estimated that at least 400,000 people participated in the marches, while trade unions calculated the total crowd size to be twice that figure.

The protests originated in mid-September when students aged 15 to 18 began demanding additional teachers and repairs for dilapidated school infrastructure. The movement has since expanded to include parents, teachers, and various labor unions. Participants in Paris, where government estimates counted at least 110,000 marchers, expressed frustration over the high cost of living and what they described as aggressive law enforcement tactics.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported that 135 people were arrested nationwide. Authorities confiscated a variety of items during the demonstrations, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, and improvised weapons. Nunez also noted the seizure of a katana sword and airsoft guns.

While much of the Paris march proceeded in a relaxed atmosphere with brass bands and families, conflicts emerged at the Porte de Vincennes on the city's eastern edge. Groups of masked men in black clothing, who appeared distinct from the main crowd, threw glass bottles and stones at officers. Police responded using teargas, water cannons, and stun grenades. A trash bin was set on fire, and fireworks were launched toward the police line.

Similar clashes occurred in other major cities. Teargas was deployed in Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, and Toulouse to prevent protesters from entering city centers. In Marseille, trash fires broke out during confrontations between marchers and police. The government had heightened security measures after the previous Saturday, which saw one of France's most violent days of unrest in recent years, including the burning of public buildings and the arrest of at least 2,700 people.

Critics directed anger at President Emmanuel Macron for banning non-union demonstrations deemed illegitimate and for restricting protesters from central urban areas. Nadège, a 43-year-old communications worker in Paris, said she was teargassed at a peaceful demonstration the prior weekend. She stated that people are now afraid to protest, though she returned to defend the legal right to demonstrate in the street.

Jérôme Rodrigues, a figure from the 2018 and 2019 yellow vest movement, said the government is afraid and pushing demonstrators to the edges of cities. He predicted that demonstrations would continue each weekend. In Orléans, thousands of protesters marched against a congress hosted by Marine Le Pen's National Rally party, chanting slogans calling for Macron to resign and for Le Pen to be imprisoned.

Police investigations are currently underway following reports that some children and protesters were injured by explosive police weaponry. The crisis has intensified pressure on Macron, who is in his final months in office before stepping down next year.