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At least 550,000 people took to the streets across France on October 17 to protest rising living costs, with organizers estimating turnout at 800,000. Demonstrations escalated into widespread unrest, leaving a 19th-century city hall in Limoges largely destroyed and around 400 people arrested, Le Monde reported.
According to France’s Interior Ministry, 110,000 people demonstrated in Paris alone. The protests were led largely by school and university students, joined by trade unions, “Yellow Vest” activists and political groups.
Peaceful marches turned violent in the evening. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed far-left groups and opportunistic criminals for exploiting the unrest.
Damage and destruction across France
Limoges: Protesters smashed windows, entered the city hall and set it on fire. The 1883 building, modeled on Paris City Hall, suffered extensive destruction, with its roof collapsing and much of its facade lost. The local prefect described the damage as a “disaster for heritage.”
Bordeaux: Rioters stormed the prefect’s residence, set fire to the courtyard and damaged rooms. Police tactical unit RAID was deployed. A Decathlon store on the main shopping street was looted and burned, with flames spreading to a nearby building.
Marseille, Lille, Calais and Angers: Protesters attempted to storm city halls.
Lyon: A tourist office was burned.
Paris: Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said entire streets had been systematically devastated.
Stores were also looted in Strasbourg, Rouen, Nantes, Rennes, Toulouse and other cities.
Injuries and arrests
The Interior Ministry reported that 60 security officers were injured, with two taken to hospital unconscious.
In Saint-Étienne, a 17-year-old protester lost an arm after a police grenade he had picked up from the ground exploded. The incident is under investigation by the police inspectorate.
Around 400 people were arrested in connection with the unrest.
Government response
“Those who smashed things, attacked prefectures and shops, and even looted city halls will be prosecuted and punished,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin instructed prosecutors to seek prison sentences for those involved in the riots. The government does not plan to declare a state of emergency.
Opposition parties traded accusations. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed, accused police of having “organized disorder,” while Marine Le Pen blamed France Unbowed for pushing the country toward chaos.
Trade unions have called for protests to continue, with the next nationwide strike scheduled for November 5.
How the protests began
The movement began in mid-September at a secondary school in Créteil, outside Paris, where teachers and students protested funding shortages and a lack of teaching staff. Within weeks, demonstrations spread to hundreds of schools nationwide, with university students joining and blocking campuses.
Young protesters are demanding €10 billion in funding for secondary schools and the abolition of Parcoursup, France’s national university admissions platform. At the movement’s peak on October 6, around 800 secondary schools were not operating normally. On October 13, 480,000 people took to the streets.
Anger also grew over police tactics against schoolchildren.
Meanwhile, a TikTok campaign calling for demonstrations against rising living costs and fuel prices on October 17 gained support from “Yellow Vest” activists. The result was a broad mobilization involving students, university groups and trade unions.
