Protestsupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 5 November 2026Interior Ministry Says 106,000 Protesters March Across France; Police Detain 219
2 West Asian2 Western Mainstream1 Asian1 IsraeliPhoto: FreCha, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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About 106,000 protesters marched across France, interior ministry says. Paris saw around 24,000 protesters.
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Tens of Thousands March
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday to demonstrate against the rising cost of living and strained public services, the Interior Ministry said. The Interior Ministry put Saturday's nationwide turnout at 106,000 people, including 24,000 in Paris, while it said police detained 219 people across the country. The demonstrations drew their lowest turnout in recent weeks, and the previous weekend had seen 146,000 participants nationwide, according to the Interior Ministry.
“Some 106,000 people marched through French cities, with 24,000 in Paris alone.”
Police fired tear gas in Paris, Bordeaux and the western city of Nantes, including after some protesters shot fireworks, as the protests continued into the fifth consecutive weekend. The Times of India said more than 100,000 people took to the streets across France on Saturday for the fifth consecutive weekend, and it quoted Marius Mesnil, co-secretary-general of the Union Syndicale Lycéenne, saying, "We’re asking to have teachers when we go to class."
Tear Gas, Arrests, Attacks
The Interior Ministry said police fired tear gas in Paris, Bordeaux and Nantes, and it reported that police detained 219 people across the country. In Lyon, protesters violently attacked a group of journalists working for BFMTV, and the Interior Ministry said riot police intervened to protect them. A freelance journalist who witnessed the assault told AFP that one member of the BFMTV crew was repeatedly struck, and he said, "His camera was thrown to the ground, broken, and then they picked it up and stole it."
The Jerusalem Post reported that one suspected attacker was arrested, and it said the attack occurred during a demonstration attended by approximately 8,000 people in Lyon. In Paris, Benjamin Ball told AFP that "The government has only given us crumbs, and we want the whole bakery," as protesters gathered at Place de la République for the fifth Saturday in a row.
Police Firearms Bill Stakes
Saturday's demonstrations focused on opposition to a proposed police bill that would give police officers and gendarmes greater protection when using firearms in the line of duty. Sabrine Kharbach, spokesperson for the Student Union, said the "licence to kill" law would presume that a police officer who fires "will first be presumed to have acted lawfully," and she added, "Yet another layer of impunity for those who club us, gas us and maim us." The Times of India said the protests also voiced concerns over education funding, children's rights and a proposed law granting greater protection to police officers using firearms.
France 24 said the Interior Ministry reported that 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed nationwide to oversee between 50 and 60 planned marches, and it said the Ministry recorded 219 arrests by 6.00 pm. The Jerusalem Post said the protests brought together groups including organizations campaigning for children's rights and opposition to proposed legislation concerning police use of firearms, and it quoted Benjamin Ball rejecting suggestions that declining turnout meant the movement was losing momentum, saying, "We don't get the impression that the movement is losing steam."