Published November 5, 2026last updated November 5, 2026
Demonstrators took to the streets in several French cities to call for government action on the high cost of living. Protests were largely peaceful, but there were some reports of escalation, including in Paris.
French workers joined students to call for greater government action on deteriorating public servicesImage: Jeffrey Schaeffer/AP Photo/picture alliance
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Hundreds of thousands of people descended on the streets of French cities on Thursday for a new round of protests over rising cost of living.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the total number of protesters ballooned over the course of the afternoon, from 270,000 to 600,000 by the evening.
The five unions that organized the protests represent public and private sectors, and are calling on the government to address deteriorating public services and high prices of goods.
Public and private sector workers were joined by students, who have organized their numerous protests of their own over the course of the past month.
Protesters gather in Place de la Republique in ParisImage: Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP
One of the biggest student protests in October turned violent, with rioters having vandalized stores. Flames went up from the roof of the town hall of Limoges in central France.
French President Emmanuel Macron blamed ultra-left groups for the violence and vowed more security personnel at protests.
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Cost of living protests in major French cities
Like what was seen in October, major rallies took place in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and elsewhere, with about 70,000 police officers and security forces deployed throughout the country.
Protests were largely peaceful, though there were reports about riot police having clashed with protesters in Lyon.
There were reports about incidents of escalation in Paris, where the Eiffel Tower remained closed for the day. Police at one point used tear gas against protesters in the French capital.
A protester throws a tear gas canister back at police in the city of LyonImage: Denis Balibouse/REUTERS
Some reports of violence earlier in the day in Brittany, Rennes, Toulouse
Demonstrations kicked off in the southern cities of Marseille and Lyon, and Nantes in the west, on Thursday morning.
Authorities in the western region of Brittany said "masked individuals" had tried to block roads in the city of Rennes.
Broadcaster BFM TV reported that a high school near the southwestern city of Toulouse was set on fire.
The main protest in Paris began at 2 p.m. local time (1300 GMT). Daily newspaper Le Monde reported that the demonstrators in Paris began to clear by the evening.
Reuters reported that high school students and other protesters had already faced off against riot police in the French capital on Thursday morning after they blocked a street with rubbish bins.
France has seen frequent nationwide protests over the cost of living in recent weeksImage: Christophe Archambault/AFP
Public services go on strike
Public and private education unions called for staff to walk off the job, as well as unions representing rail workers, public hospitals and postal services.
They are demanding an increase in the minimum wage, across-the-board wage raises, tax reforms and better learning conditions for young people.
The Education Ministry said just over 15% of French teaching staff went on strike. French power unions also joined the action, state-owned utility EDF said.
About a third of France's high schools were closed, either because of student blockades or striking teachers.
Media reports said state railway operator SNCF expected only minor disruptions to long-distance services.
Students in France have been protesting for better conditions at school and university. Over the weekend they were joined by crowds angry about the rising cost of living. Protests ended in chaos ― not just in France.
Image: Jack Taylor/REUTERS
Attacking the state
In Limoges, France, rioters set the historic town hall on fire, while in Lyon it was the city's tourism information center. In Paris, protesters tried to break into the Elysee Palace; in Marseille and Avignon, they attacked a police station and the prefecture building, respectively.
Image: Melaine Payzal/AFP
Macron denounces violence and looting
French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticized protesters who had turned to violence. "Those who looted will have to pay for the damage and those who sought to bring down the republic will be held accountable," Macron said in a televised address on Sunday night. Roughly 2,400 people were arrested in France over the weekend.
Image: Ludovic Marin/AFP
Many protested peacefully
Estimates for the total number of protesters across France ranged from 550,000 to 800,000. In Paris, people initially gathered peacefully at the Place de la Republique on Saturday. The protest centered on the high price of gas and a call for better conditions in French schools.
Image: Stephanie Lecocq/REUTERS
Violence and destruction
Soon, however, it became clear that some of the people in the streets wanted to express their anger in violent ways. Some threw stones, looted stores and set buildings on fire.
Image: Kai Pfaffenbach/REUTERS
Looters take advantage
A shop owner in Paris told the BBC they did not think the people looting shops were genuine protesters, but individuals taking advantage of the unrest. Security camera footage showed young people breaking into mobile phone shops and helping themselves.
Image: Mattia David Rinaldi/IPA/ZUMA/picture alliance
Many stores targeted
Sports stores like Decathlon and Intersport were also looted. An Apple store, branches of famed department store Galeries Lafayette and luxury labels Celine, Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior were also targeted. Galeries Lafayette told industry publication Women's Wear Daily that it had closed early as a precaution and that its Bordeaux branch was worst impacted.
Image: Emma Da Silva/AP Photo/picture alliance
Police out in force
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu blamed the "ultra-left" and criminals for the violence. According to the French Interior Ministry, roughly 500 police, firefighters and paramedics were injured over the weekend. In the southern French city of Saint-Etienne, a 17-year-old boy lost his right hand to a crowd control grenade.
Image: Stephane Mahe/REUTERS
'Macron, return the money'
Because of the high deficit and the state's high debt, the French government doesn't have a lot of room to react to the protesters' demands. The National Assembly is currently debating the 2027 budget, which includes cuts that are projected at around €45 billion ($50.5 billion).
Image: Matthieu Rondel/AFP
Losses in the hundreds of millions
In the aftermath of the violence, it was estimated that around 1,500 businesses in France had been damaged and that business owners were looking at losses in the hundreds of millions of euros.
Image: Florian Poitout/ABACA/picture alliance
'Like we had a war'
On Monday, Parisians awoke to scenes of destruction after groups lit fires in the street and torched vehicles. At least one restaurant was gutted by fire. "It's like we had a war," one Paris resident told news agency AFP. It was "terrifying," another added.
Image: Emma Da Silva/AP Photo/picture alliance
Protests spread around Europe
In central Milan, Italy, what started as a peaceful march to protest rising living costs on Saturday ended with masked people throwing stones and other objects at riot police and setting fire to barricades made from bar tables.
Image: Alessandro Bremec/IPA/picture alliance
Weekend of violence in Italy
There was further damage and violence on Sunday, with black-clad youths seen ransacking a supermarket and other shops. Bus shelters and parked cars were also damaged. Local news agencies reported that at least two police officers were injured and about 50 demonstrators, including many minors, were detained.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said holding demonstrations was a democratic right but that "setting our cities on fire is not." On social media, she blamed "hooligans" for exploiting the protests. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala argued that while he understood the reasons for the protests, "violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable."
Image: Nicola Marfisi/AGF/ZUMA/picture alliance
Rising housing costs in Portugal also drew protests
In the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, a protest that drew tens of thousands of demonstrators upset about rising costs and the housing crisis ended with an informal, overnight camp being built in a central square. A similar camp in northern city of Porto had already been removed by authorities.
Image: Hugo Amaral/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/picture alliance
House prices up 124% in under a decade
Portuguese demonstrators say low wages are failing to keep pace with the rising cost of living. Portugal's inflation was at 3.6% in September and Portuguese housing prices went up by 124% between 2015 and 2024, about twice as much as the EU average. Rents for new leases have nearly doubled since 2017, news agency Reuters reported.
Image: Ricardo Rocha/ZUMA/picture alliance
Housing protests in Madrid
Similar protests in Spain in late September also saw a tent city established in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol plaza. More than 1,000 tents are thought to have been erected there following protests after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen from her home in Madrid. The encampment remains even as municipal authorities call for its removal.
