Cost-of-Living Protests Take Place Across France and Germany
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Germany and France on October 31, 2026, combining cost-of-living grievances with Halloween festivities while authorities deployed water cannons, riot police, and tens of thousands of extra officers.
Protest Movements Converge on German Cities as Police Deploy Water Cannons
In Germany, approximately 150,000 people registered to turn out across about 30 cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, and Cologne, according to Al Jazeera. Demonstrators voiced anger over the high cost of living, underfunded schools and universities, environmental concerns, and a potential reintroduction of mandatory military service.
While the demonstration in Berlin appeared peaceful, police in Cologne deployed water cannons after some protesters set off fireworks during a march in the city center. “Our measures are directed against troublemakers and violent individuals – not against peaceful participants,” Cologne police stated. In Hamburg, riot police intervened after barriers were set on fire and emergency service workers were attacked with pyrotechnics and construction materials. Ahead of the demonstrations, luxury shops lining Berlin’s Kurfürstendamm shopping street boarded up their windows as a precautionary measure, and extra police officers were deployed nationwide.
French Demonstrations Face Strict Mask Bans and Heavy Security
Meanwhile, France faced another weekend of unrest as nationwide protests continued following earlier demonstrations on October 17 and October 24. The French Interior Ministry reported that 320,000 people protested across the country, with 70,000 demonstrators in Paris, marking a decrease from the 410,000 who turned out the previous week and 550,000 on October 17. Anticipating a very high risk of public disorder, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned protesters that covering their faces with Halloween costumes could result in fines. Authorities authorized demonstrations only outside town centers and deployed 70,000 law enforcement officers nationwide, closing more than 40 metro stations in Paris. Alain Di Crescenzo, president of France’s Chamber of Commerce, told broadcaster France Inter that businesses were worried. “Shopkeepers can’t wait for Saturday to be over,” Di Crescenzo said, adding that Halloween “is not helping matters, because we’re going to have people wearing masks.”
Police Detain Hundreds as Radical Elements Clash in Cities
The French Interior Ministry stated that radical elements at the tail end of processions in cities including Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes, Lille, Nantes, Marseille, and Lyon attempted to enter city centers to cause damage and engage in looting, but police intervened to thwart those attempts. In Rennes, several hundred violent individuals began attacking police with projectiles and setting fires after the main march concluded peacefully. As of 6 p.m. local time, 296 people had been detained across France. The French interior ministry reported on Friday that at least 1,193 police officers had been injured since the start of the protests on October 17.
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