Protests in France continued for a third consecutive weekend Saturday, including clashes in Paris and youth-led rallies in other European countries.
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Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday for a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education, with youth-led protests also held in parts of Europe including Germany and Portugal.
France’s government estimated that 320,000 people protested nationwide Saturday, down from previous demonstrations on Oct. 17 (550,000) and Oct. 24 (410,000), and authorities reported more than 560 arrests by Saturday night.
While protests were described as overwhelmingly peaceful, gatherings in Paris and other cities ended with tear gas and fires set by small groups on the margins. In Paris, about 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed after Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of a “very high risk” of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween.
Paris marches were rerouted to the capital’s edge to protect stores, government buildings and tourist areas in the city centre. The main march moved along the Boulevards des Maréchaux, where the crowd was described as joyful for hours, including techno music and some marchers going trick-or-treating.
Later on, clashes broke out near Porte de Charenton, where protesters hurled glass bottles and fireworks at police. Officers responded with stun grenades and tear gas, and many peaceful marchers turned back as smoke filled the air.
Authorities also imposed restrictions for the weekend, barring people from entering Place de la Republique and Les Halles from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, while unaccompanied minors faced a separate 9 p.m. curfew around the Champs-Elysees.
In Germany, youth initiative “Gen Z regelt” rallied in more than 30 cities for education, health, climate protection and an affordable life, and against any return of military conscription, with organizers saying tens of thousands participated nationwide. In Berlin, students gathered at Brandenburg Gate demanding more investment in education and housing, with one student citing issues including damp conditions in a student residence, broken infrastructure and a shortage of teachers.
In Cologne, police ended a protest march early after protesters used pyrotechnics and threw stones at officers despite a ban, and police used water cannons to disperse demonstrators. In Hamburg, police used water cannons and tear gas after protesters shot pyrotechnics toward police and burned barricades, and in Frankfurt protesters pelted police with stones, injuring several officers.
Elsewhere in Europe, thousands of protesters converged in downtown Lisbon to protest Portugal’s housing crisis, and in The Hague authorities maintained a strong police presence in and around the downtown shopping area after online appeals for protests and fears of rioting and looting, though there were no major disturbances by midafternoon.
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