French Protesters Face Police as Costs Squeeze Families

French authorities reported that 320,000 people participated in demonstrations across the country on Saturday, October 31. This third wave of protests focused on the cost of living and the state of public services. The turnout was lower than the previous weekend, when an estimated 410,000 people took to the streets.

Police deployed 70,000 officers and gendarmes, including elite units, to manage the crowds. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had warned earlier in the week that Saturday presented a high risk for violence. Despite the heavy security presence, clashes broke out in several major cities as the largely peaceful marches concluded.

In Paris, 70,000 demonstrators marched along boulevards on the south-eastern outskirts. They started near the Porte de Bagnolet and moved toward the Porte de Charenton. Many participants wore Halloween costumes. As evening approached, groups of masked rioters joined the crowds. In Paris, Lyon, and Toulouse, police used teargas, stun grenades, and water cannons to disperse the groups.

In Paris, the Paris police prefecture stated that several hundred rioters attacked officers with projectiles, including a molotov cocktail. Masked individuals pried up paving stones with hammers and threw them at security forces. In Lyon, protesters threw objects at police, who responded with teargas. In Toulouse, water cannons were used against an unauthorized protest that drew several thousand young demonstrators.

The protests united school students, trade unions, and yellow vest activists. They expressed anger over widening inequalities and the policies of President Emmanuel Macron's government. Jérôme Rodrigues, a protester in Paris, said the economy was struggling because leaders juggled billions while families fought over cents. Camille Guérin in Nantes said the crowd rejected the cost of living and the far right while supporting student demands.

This event occurred two weeks after the first wave of mass protests on October 17. That day saw widespread street violence and looting, marking one of the worst periods of civil unrest in recent French history. Student organizations announced plans for new blockades in high schools and universities on Tuesday and Thursday. They intend to join a demonstration called by workers and trade unions on November 5.

Similar unrest occurred in Germany, where youth-led groups organized protests in dozens of cities. The group Gen Z regelt, which translates to Gen Z will sort this, called for demonstrations demanding better education, health, climate action, and affordable living. Police in Cologne and Frankfurt used water cannons after protesters threw fireworks. In Berlin, bottles and eggs were hurled, while barricades were set on fire in Hamburg. Police in some areas used pepper spray, according to the newspaper Bild.

Authorities in Barcelona and Italy remained on alert following recent clashes and online calls for new gatherings. In Italy, tensions had already risen in Milan, Turin, and Bologna. The coordinated nature of the protests across Europe indicates a shared frustration with economic pressures and public service delivery.