For the second week in a row, mostly peaceful protests across France over the worsening cost of living crisis and widening inequality have turned violent.
France’s interior ministry said 410,000 people took part in protests in several major cities, including Paris.
French authorities have significantly increased security ahead of Saturday’s protests after rioters torched Limoges’ historic city hall and looters destroyed supermarkets and luxury boutiques in Lyon over the weekend.
Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon in Paris on Saturday to disperse a group of about 500 hooded youths who threw rocks at police officers, Reuters reported, citing security officials.
In Marseille, France’s second city, young people dragged large metal plates to block roads, set trash cans on fire and threw stones and bottles at riot police. Clashes continued after sunset, and police said looters attacked two jewelry stores, Reuters reported.
The agency said clashes also escalated in Lyon, Bordeaux and Grenoble, and police fired volleys of tear gas at demonstrators in Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Nantes and Nice.
But the intensity of the violence was still lower than a week ago, when looters and vandals rampaged through many French cities.
The demonstrations began last month when a group of high school students in a Paris suburb lamented poor school conditions, including a lack of teachers and inadequate equipment. The demonstrations subsequently expanded and developed into nationwide protests.
France’s economic and political woes have caused government borrowing costs to rise sharply. The yield on the 10-year bond rose above 5% this week for the first time since 2002, settling at around 5.03% on Friday.
Some investors are concerned that the country’s debt problems could spread to the rest of the euro zone.
Police confront protesters during a demonstration against the rising cost of living in Rennes, France, on October 24, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Vernault Quentin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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A demonstrator wears goggles and a keffiyeh on his face as tear gas spreads through the street during a protest over rising education funding and the cost of living in Paris, France, October 24, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Clement Sauchet/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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A group of police officers from the Motor Vehicle Anti-Violence Squad (BRAV-M) squad caught in a cloud of tear gas. Tensions and clashes between violent demonstrators and police in Vincennes Coeur towards the end of the second act of a protest against the rising cost of living in support of purchasing power, protection of public services, fiscal and social justice in Paris, France, October 24, 2026. (Photo by Amaury) Cornu/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
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Portrait of a father and his young son posing together during a demonstration. The boy holds a handwritten cardboard placard that reads “LES COLLEGIENS ON EST LA!” (We are here as middle school students too!), October 24, 2026, in Paris, France. Originally driven by high school students demanding better learning conditions, the movement also brought together younger students and their families, highlighting the involvement of different generations in protecting education and shaping the future. (Photo by Aruallan/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
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A demonstrator in the crowd holds a placard that reads, “In 2026, democracy has two tools: the baton and Article 49.3.” October 24, 2026 in Nantes, western France. Demo known as Act 2. Organized by high school students, politicians, trade unions and the Yellow Vests, the demonstrations, under close police supervision, supported the right to protest, opposition to high living costs and improved conditions for education, work and daily life. (Photo by Maylis Rolland / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)
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A demonstrator holds a placard that reads “Feed the rich” as a procession passes under the emergency room of a university hospital in Nantes, western France, on October 24, 2026. Demo known as Act 2. Organized by high school students, politicians, trade unions and the Yellow Vests, the demonstrations were held under close police surveillance in support of the right to protest, opposition to high living costs and improved conditions of education, work and daily life. (Photo by Maylis Rolland / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)
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A demonstrator holds a placard that says “I dream of another world” in Nantes, western France, on October 24, 2026. Organized under close police surveillance by high school students, politicians, trade unions and yellow vest groups, the demonstrations, known as “Second Act”, call for the right to protest, against the high cost of living and for better conditions for education, work and daily life. (Photo by Maylis Rolland / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)
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Three demonstrators wearing Spider-Man costumes and masks point at each other as other protesters watch and record the action during a protest against increased education funding and the rising cost of living in Paris, France, October 24, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Clement Sauchet/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Demonstrators march with large hand-painted banners in Paris, France, on October 24, 2026, demanding increased funding for schools and universities and action to combat the rising cost of living. (Photo courtesy of Clement Sauchet/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Police with batons and shields confront demonstrators gathered on a sidewalk, with several raising their hands, during a protest against increased education funding and the rising cost of living in Paris, France, October 24, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Clement Sauchet/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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According to CGT, about 800,000 people demonstrated across France, with 250,000 taking part in Paris. The Paris march started from Porte d’Italie at 2pm and headed to Porte de Vincennes after being rerouted at the last minute by police headquarters. October 24, 2026. (Photo credit: Telmo Pinto/NurPhoto, Getty Images)
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French riot police walk through the street as they clash with demonstrators during a sanctioned demonstration organized by trade unions in Paris, October 24, 2026, in France, as part of a nationwide protest called by the “yellow vest” movement of French high school and university students against rising costs of living and fuel prices. Photographed on October 24, 2026.
Dylan Martinez | Reuters
