Protestsupdated 1h ago2 min read
France’s Cost-of-Living Protests Spread, With Lecornu Saying 1,200 Arrested
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France-wide protests against rising living costs, education cuts, with large turnout and clashes. Curfews imposed in parts of France after weekend unrest, including Paris.
21 outlets told this the same way.
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France arrests and injuries
France saw nationwide protests against the "high cost of living" spread across Paris and several other French cities on October 17, with violent clashes, looting and arson reported in some areas. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Saturday evening that about 1,200 people in the protests had been arrested and 150 police officers and gendarmes injured, according to French newspaper Le Monde. The French Interior Ministry put the nationwide turnout at approximately 550,000, while organizers estimated that 800,000 people had taken part.
Yang Zi, a Chinese student studying in France, said the protests had disrupted campus life, with most university teaching buildings closed and classes moved online, making daily life inconvenient and leaving students reluctant to go out. The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese diplomatic missions in France urged Chinese citizens traveling to France to remain alert to potential risks and closely monitor local developments, advising them to avoid protest areas and contact local police and Chinese diplomatic missions for assistance in an emergency.
Macron, unions, and riots
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the "legitimate demands" of protesters angered by rising living and fuel costs, while condemning those responsible for violence and looting. Macron said, "We must never confuse them with those who destroyed, vandalised and looted," as the BBC described a weekend of fury and looting across France. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez attempted to submit his resignation, according to the Élysée Palace, and President Emmanuel Macron asked him to analyze how to improve security on France’s streets and to bring to justice those responsible for weekend violence.
Sophie Binet, the general secretary of the CGT union, accused Macron of not addressing students’ concerns, the cost-of-living crisis, or the deterioration of public services in France. The French Ministry of the Interior reported around 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven of them seriously, and riot police fired tear gas and water cannons at the crowd.
What comes next across Europe
Prime Minister Lecornu asked prefects to "establish a series of curfews" that will be "partial" and "localized," in order to protect, in particular, businesses. A crisis team reviewed the riots and looting that occurred over the weekend across France, in what were some of the worst scenes of public disorder in the country’s modern history. Reuters linked the unrest to cost-of-living pressures across Europe and said the European Commission estimates the Iran conflict has cost Europe roughly €100 billion ($112) through disrupted trade and energy markets.
Gas prices have jumped about 140% and diesel prices have doubled, and demonstrations in France began over deteriorating school facilities in Paris' northern suburbs before morphing into some of the country's worst unrest in decades. The French government fears that cutting public services or social welfare will spur even more people to hit the streets, while new mass protests are expected within a couple of weeks.