In France, on 17 October, mass protests over high fuel prices, the rising cost of living and the state of public services escalated into clashes with the police in several cities. According to Reuters, by midday, the police had arrested 272 people. Riots, damage to property and arson were reported in Paris, Lyon and Marseille, amongst other places.
Briefly about the main points
- The police had detained 272 people by midday.
- Clashes took place in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Angers.
- The CGT estimated the number of participants at over 500,000.
- The Ministry of the Interior has released preliminary figures only for regions outside Paris.
- The Prime Minister recognised the right to peaceful protest and condemned violence.
Tear gas was used in Paris, and a tourist office was set on fire in Lyon
The greatest tension arose in Paris, where several columns of demonstrators, uncoordinated with the authorities, formed in the morning. Near the Gare du Nord and in other parts of the capital, police attempted to disperse groups of demonstrators, according to Le Monde.
Some of the protesters threw stones and fireworks at the police. In response, the police used tear gas. In central Paris, shop and restaurant windows were smashed, and cars and rubbish bins were set alight; some shops were temporarily closed.
In Lyon, protesters set fire to a tourist information centre. In Marseille, the town hall was damaged, after which the local authorities requested additional police support. Collision Incidents were also reported in Toulouse and Angers, whilst several towns reported that protesters had been injured.
The Ministry of the Interior and the CGT trade union have published differing estimates of the scale of the mobilisation
By midday, the French Ministry of the Interior had recorded 140 protests in regions outside Paris, involving 32,800 people. In the capital, around 100 people had been arrested by that time, whilst the total number of arrests nationwide stood at 166.
Later, the Ministry of the Interior updated its figures on arrests. The figure rose as the day progressed and covered incidents in various cities.
After 5.00 pm local time, the trade union confederation CGT reported that more than 500,000 people had taken part in the nationwide mobilisation. This estimate cannot be directly compared with the Ministry of the Interior’s earlier figures: the government’s tally was a preliminary one, compiled before midday and excluding Paris, whilst the CGT’s figures covered the whole country and were published later.
Trade unions, farmers and pensioners have joined the students and schoolchildren
The protesters included students, schoolchildren, teachers, workers from various sectors, farmers, pensioners and trade union representatives. Some of the demonstrators wore yellow vests — a symbol of the 2018 French protest movement.
The protesters are calling for lower fuel prices, higher purchasing power and incomes, increased funding for education, and better public services. The current wave of protests began in September with student and school demonstrations in the suburbs of Paris.
Young people protested against the shortage of teachers, the poor state of educational institutions and cuts to educational resources. They were later joined by trade unions and representatives of the «Yellow Vests» movement. The discontent is also linked to police actions during previous student protests: in France, numerous reports of excessive use of force are being investigated, including cases of serious injury to teenagers.
The authorities are blaming radical groups for the unrest
The Ministry of the Interior has stated that some of the disturbances were organised by radical groups. According to the ministry, they attacked police officers, damaged government buildings and attempted to loot shops.
Protesters insist that the majority of people demonstrated peacefully, and that the violence was caused by isolated groups. The Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu He described peaceful demonstrations as a legitimate right of citizens, but stated that arson, looting and assaults were unacceptable.
Lecornu also said that the government would not allow violence to be used to achieve political ends. The President Emmanuel Macron had previously called for calm amid growing social tensions.
The protests continued into the evening, with the trade unions demanding a response from the government
As of the evening of 17 October, protests and clashes were still ongoing in some cities. The police continued to maintain public order, whilst the trade unions insisted that the government must respond to the socio-economic demands of the protesters.
The protests are taking place around six months before the 2027 presidential election. High prices and the state of education have become some of the main sources of public discontent facing the French authorities.
