Nearly 1,000 Arrested as Cost-of-Living Demonstrations Turn Violent in France
French security forces arrested nearly 1,000 people across France on October 24 as nationwide demonstrations over the rising cost of living spiraled into clashes with riot police. Demonstrators, student groups, and trade unionists faced tear gas, batons, and water cannons in Paris, Lyon, Nantes, and Marseille after authorities deployed 70,000 officers to restrict access to commercial city centers.
Partial Curfews and Museum Closures Enforced Across Major French Cities
The UAE Embassy in Paris urged citizens in France to avoid crowded areas and exercise caution as local authorities enforced partial urban curfews and shuttered cultural landmarks, including the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. Nationwide turnout reached between 410,000 and 800,000 people, with up to 250,000 marching in the capital alone, where police used forced dispersals against crowds, leaving two individuals seriously injured in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that officers encountered elevated levels of violence from black-clad ultra-left groups while enforcing bans on non-union marches ordered by President Emmanuel Macron.
The clashes follow nationwide rioting seven days prior that resulted in 2,700 arrests, vandalized public buildings, and widespread commercial looting across French urban centers.
