France cost-of-living protests turn violent with buildings torched
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across France in a wave of cost-of-living protests that turned violent on Saturday, resulting in torched buildings, at least 272 arrests by mid-afternoon, and a protester suffering severe injuries from a crowd-control grenade, according to reports. The unrest brought together high school students, trade unionists, farmers, climate activists, and participants wearing the yellow reflective jackets of the revived gilets jaunes movement.
Clashes Erupt Across Major French Cities
Protests broke out in cities including Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse, and Angers, according to the Interior Ministry figures. In Paris, demonstrators blocked main roads, prompting authorities to close central metro stations as marchers chanted Everyone hates the police
and Macron, resign,
as reported. Riot police deployed tear gas and baton charges to counter groups of hooded individuals setting fire to parked cars, piles of electronic bicycles, and street barricades.
In Marseille, France’s second-largest city, protesters breached the door of the city hall, storming the building, spraying graffiti, and damaging furniture before being pushed out by police, according to reports. A lorry was set on fire in the city, with flames spreading to a nearby building and roof, reported. In the southern city of Montpellier, marchers unfurled a giant blue sign reading The people will win,
while demonstrators in La Rochelle streamed behind a banner reading Revolution or death,
according to reports.
The demonstrations also carried a heavy toll. One protester had a hand blown off by a police crowd-control grenade during the unrest. A 15-year-old had previously lost a hand to a riot-control weapon during earlier student demonstrations.
French Officials and Local Leaders Respond to Violence
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu expressed strong support for law enforcement officers, praising them for facing violence of extreme intensity
to protect citizens. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez acknowledged that police stun grenades could be deployed during the Saturday rallies, despite having previously suspended their use against young demonstrators following severe injuries.
Local leaders condemned the escalation. Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan described the situation as out of control
, noting that teenagers aged 16 and 17 were caught in the middle because of troublemakers. We can’t lump protesters with legitimate demands together with these vandals – they’re morons, imbeciles, thugs … I want them in prison, I want them brought to justice,
Payan said.
Political figures sharply divided over the demonstrations. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, blamed Parisian authorities for relentlessly tear-gassing the protesters’ gathering point at Place de la République, while insisting to television news that most nationwide demonstrations remained peaceful.
President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on Friday ahead of the rallies during a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels, urged calm and respect for people and property. Macron stated that while a constitutional right to demonstrate exists, it carries responsibility, calling the actions of elements solely intent on causing chaos unacceptable.
School Walkouts Expand into Protests over Living Standards
The demonstrations follow weeks of secondary school walkouts originating in Paris’s poor northern suburbs, sparked initially by teacher shortages and shabby school facilities before widening into broader anger over public spending, inequality, and living standards. The CGT, one of France’s largest labour unions, backed the mobilization, demanding higher wages, increased pensions, lower prices, and stronger public services.
Protesters highlighted acute economic strain. Purchasing power in France has dwindled since 2024, and fuel prices have surged following the start of the US-Iran war earlier in the year, according to reports. Meanwhile, the eurozone’s second-largest economy faces mounting pressure to rein in public debt, which is projected to exceed 120% of GDP next year—double the European Union limit of 60%. Economists warn that significant debt reduction will require major reforms, including cutbacks to France's pension system, as President Macron enters the final stretch of his presidency while political parties remain divided and government borrowing costs rise.