Police and protesters clash in Paris as demonstrations break out across Europe

Paris | Oct. 24, 2026, 1:23 p.m. ET | 5 min read Clashes erupted as a mass march drew to a close in Paris on Saturday, a week after widespread rioting and looting. More than 400,000 people rallied across France over school funding and soaring living costs, mounting a fresh challenge to President Emmanuel Macron’s government.While protests in France have claimed most international attention, large demonstrations rocked many European cities Saturday from Milan to Madrid, Lisbon to Tirana. The protests encompass a broad range of issues from education and corruption to anti-war movements, pensions and housing.In Paris, the march began peacefully. But near its endpoint at Porte de Vincennes, some protesters threw projectiles while police fired volleys of tear gas and used water cannons to disperse people. The Interior Ministry put nationwide turnout at 410,000, including 110,000 in Paris. Authorities had confined the capital’s march to the city’s southeastern edge, keeping protesters away from central neighborhoods hit by last weekend’s destruction.Elsewhere in France, police used tear gas in Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, and Strasbourg, and water cannons in Nice and Nantes, French media reported. In Marseille, officers fired tear gas during clashes with several dozen people near the march’s endpoint.The unrest is testing President Macron’s authority in the final months of his presidency before voters choose his successor in May. The stakes are high: the far-right National Rally has accused his government of failing to protect the public and urged people to channel their anger into votes for them. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had announced a nationwide deployment of up to 70,000 officers, backed by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons.Trade unions led the procession, followed by protesters in raincoats carrying flags and handmade placards.Camille Chesnier said she had been unable to find work despite having an engineering degree and a master’s degree.“There are enormous numbers of people in the same situation as me but who aren’t privileged and who find themselves living on the streets and in squats and, frankly, it’s very tough,” she said.A small protest became a national movementWhat began last month as a protest over staff shortages at one high school southeast of Paris has spread nationwide, drawing students demanding better schools and workers seeking higher wages and pensions.In Paris, Bénédicte Pittion, a teacher, marched through steady rain with her daughter, Garance, a high school student. Both had supported the movement from the start, but this was their first protest together. “The young people who have been demonstrating have not been heard, and as a parent and as a teacher, I stand with them,” Ms. Pittion said.Garance said she had been “really scared” to attend after seeing images of last weekend’s violence, but argued that staying away would hand the government a victory.Public middle and high schools lost 15.4 million teaching hours in the 2024-25 school year because absent teachers were not replaced, according to Education Ministry figures. That amounted to 7.5% of scheduled teaching time.President Macron met high school representatives Friday. They said he had promised to overhaul university admissions, but called for protests to continue until concrete measures are announced.Organizers from the “yellow vest” protest movement called for another day of rallies Oct. 31 to defend the right to demonstrate.Some protests were bannedSoumaya Abed, a nurse wearing a red CGT union vest, said she had been joining protests for more than 30 years, but had never seen one start at Porte d’Italie, on the capital’s outskirts. “They are using what happened last week as an excuse to quiet protesters,” she said. “But it won’t stop the movement. It won’t stop students from demanding better conditions in schools.”In Marseille, police put attendance at 17,000, while the CGT union estimated 100,000. In the southwestern city of Toulouse, 26,500 people joined the protests, according to authorities. Authorities had banned rallies in cities including Lyon, Nice, and Montpellier.Trade unions have criticized the bans, calling them violations of freedom of expression, which is protected by the constitution.Thousands also marched Saturday in Orléans, south of Paris, in a separate peaceful protest against the far right as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally held a two-day congress in the city.Mr. Macron, a centrist, has entered the crisis in the final stretches of his term with his popularity at its lowest since he took office in 2017. He has said that the measures are needed to protect city centers, businesses, and public buildings.Mr. Nuñez acknowledged Monday that police had lost control in some cities during last weekend’s unrest, when more than half a million people took to the streets and some 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted amid street violence not seen in years. He offered to resign, but Mr. Macron refused the offer.Shops board up and museums closeGendarmes stood guard Saturday beneath the Arc de Triomphe, and shopkeepers boarded up storefronts across Paris. Near the Saint-Lazare train station Saturday, Akram Ahmed, a contractor, was boarding up an optician’s shop.“I got the call last night,” he said. “The owner seemed desperate. He said I was saving his life.”Major museums, including the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais — where a major Cézanne exhibit is on display — were shuttered Saturday.Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art fairs, opened to the public Friday, but only for the day, with the threat of unrest prompting organizers to cancel the weekend program.Students and workers are angryStudent groups want 250,000 more places in higher education and an end to selection through Parcoursup, the national admissions system. Their joint 10-point plan also calls for more teachers and repairs to schools and universities.They are also seeking help with everyday costs: an extra 200 euros ($224) a month in student grants and a rent freeze in public-student housing.Energy prices in France were 21.3% higher in September than a year earlier, helping drive overall inflation to 3.1%, according to the national statistics agency, INSEE. Paris protester Louis Ledoux-Xatard voiced frustration over inequality.“Looking at countries like the United States, we don’t want to end up like them, where part of the population has everything and the others have nothing,” he said. “I never imagined that I’d be taking to the streets so much before my thirties.”Soldiers guard center of MilanMeanwhile, protests broke out across Europe, including in Milan, Madrid and Lisbon, over issues like education, corruption, and housing. In Milan, soldiers were deployed and luxury boutiques were boarded up as thousands protested, following last week's looting and clashes. Premier Giorgia Meloni announced tougher penalties for minors, who police say were a large part of the violence. Security has been heightened with soldiers, police, and drones. Milan's mayor supports the increased security. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. There were also protests in Rome and other cities, with some turning violent.This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Tom Nouvian, Samuel Petrequin, Sylvie Corbet, Colleen Barry, Demetris Nellas, and Sylvia Hui contributed. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.