Police fired tear gas and clashed with protesters as tens of thousands took to the streets across France over high prices and the weakening of a social welfare system meant to provide basic opportunity and security. In Marseille, protesters stormed the town hall, ramming the door with security barriers they had pulled from the street. They briefly got inside the municipal building, where one protester spray-painted an “A” for anarchy on a wall before police removed them. In the capital, police fired tear gas at protesters who were launching fireworks and other projectiles at authorities in the Place de la République, north-east of the city centre.
“We’re taking the Bastille!” one demonstrator yelled, a reference to the French Revolution. Other protesters threw projectiles and smashed windows at the headquarters of right-leaning TV broadcaster CNews in the city. French authorities detained dozens of protesters across the country, with more arrests expected as the main rally began at 2pm local time. Saturday’s mobilisation followed social media calls to revive the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement, which emerged in 2018 against social injustice. The protests began last month at schools in the poor northern suburbs of Paris, where anger over teacher absences and shabby facilities quickly grew into a nationwide movement against inequality, weak public spending and falling standards. Saturday’s protests called on teachers and students, labourers, pensioners and farmers to join and widen the movement. French authorities said 140 protests involving 32,800 people had been recorded outside Paris by midday, blaming the unrest and violence on what they called the “ultra-left”.
The CGT, one of France’s biggest labour unions, has also backed the protests, calling for “higher wages and pensions, lower prices and the protection of public services that meet people’s needs”. About 45% of French people are worried about the rising cost of living and inflation, according to a 2,000-person survey conducted in October. Protesters in hi-vis vests blocked streets, echoing the unrest that plagued President Emmanuel Macron’s previous term, and in Marseille rubbish bins were set alight. Both the far left and far right in France sought to capitalise on the protest movement, with the left positioning itself on the side of the protesters and the right backing the police. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, marched in a demonstration on Tuesday and has expressed support for student protesters.
A large police presence was visible in central Paris, especially near landmarks such as the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, which were excluded from the routes of the two official demonstrations. About 100 people walked towards the police at the start of the protest yelling, “all cops are bastards!”. “We are fighting because the cost of living is too harsh, because the price of fuel is too high, because high school pupils are being violently attacked and hurt all over the country just for trying to protest and ask for more teachers and decent learning conditions,” said a 19-year-old protester in Paris who gave her name as Lola. Macron is entering the final stretch of his presidency, leaving behind a polarised electorate and a badly fragmented political landscape. On Friday, the president appeHe called for calm and respect for people and property as officials warned of possible violence. “There is a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself, and I have always been vigilant and attentive that that right is fully respected,” he said. “But this right comes with the need to respect. Respect for people, respect for property, and therefore a commitment not to insult or destroy.”
Macron condemned as “unacceptable” the potential presence of people “solely to cause damage and create unrest.”
A protester waves a French national flag during clashes before a demonstration in Marseille. Photograph: Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty Images
The interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, said hundreds of protest actions and more than 80 marches were expected nationwide, including spontaneous gatherings, street demonstrations and blockades.
Police banned some other proposed gatherings in central Paris. Many Métro stations were closed on Saturday at the police’s request, including those around the Champs-Élysées and near the presidential palace, parliament and government offices.
Protesters vandalise a municipal police station in Marseille. Photograph: Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty Images
‘Nobody is listening to us’: on the school protest frontline, I heard why France’s students feel disowned | Alexander Hurst
Read more
In recent weeks, there have been thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries, and schools set on fire as the new school year descended into nationwide student protests that are influencing the country’s presidential election campaign and drawing international attention.
The police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence, while the French prime minister said that more than 900 police officers had been injured.
Among protesters, particularly gruesome wounds suffered by some teenagers have been blamed on police riot-control weapons. Nuñez suspended the use of a type of police stun grenade against the young demonstrators after a 15-year-old lost a hand, but said that they could be used on Saturday.
On Tuesday, the climate and social justice activist Greta Thunberg joined students at a school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Police Clashes with Protesters as Tens of Thousands Take to the Streets Across France
1 What is happening in France right now
Tens of thousands of people are protesting in cities across France and in some places police have clashed with demonstrators
2 Why are people protesting
Protesters are marching over government policies they oppose The specific grievances vary but crowds are large and spread across multiple cities
3 Where are the protests taking place
In cities across the country including Paris and other major urban areas
4 How many people are involved
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets nationwide
5 Have the protests turned violent
Some clashes between police and protesters have been reported though not every demonstration has turned confrontational
6 What are police doing
Police are deployed in large numbers to manage crowds and in some areas they have used force such as tear gas or batons against protesters
7 Has anyone been hurt or arrested
Injuries and arrests have been reported at some demonstrations Exact figures vary by city and are often updated by authorities
8 Is it safe to travel to France right now
Generally yes but avoid protest areas Check your governments travel advice and local news before you go
9 What is a protest
A protest is a public gathering where people express disagreement with a policy decision or situation
10 What does clashed with protesters mean
It means police and demonstrators came into direct conflictfor example pushing shoving or police using crowdcontrol measures like tear gas
11 Why do police clash with protesters
Clashes often happen when crowds block roads refuse to disperse or when police try to control or break up a demonstration
12 What is a curfew or dispersal order
An official instruction telling people to leave an area or stay indoors usually issued to restore order
13 Why do these protests matter
Large protests can pressure the government to change policy and often draw widespread media and public attention
14 What usually happens next
Protests may continue and the government may respond with negotiations policy changes or stricter policing The situation can change quickly
15 What should I do if Im caught near a protest
Leave the area calmly avoid confrontation
