Emmanuel Macron has said there is “no room for violence” after hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest France’s cost of living crisis on Saturday.
“Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished,” the French president said.
Around 400 people were arrested on Saturday, interior minister Laurent Nunez told French media in a briefing. The government says around 550,000 protesters took part across the country, with organisers estimating the number at 800,000.
The interior ministry saying there had been violent incidents involving hooded individuals in Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers.
A large police presence was visible in central Paris, especially near landmarks such as the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, with police firing tear gas at protesters who had climbed on monuments.
Protesters chanted about a repeat of the French Revolution, declaring: “It's the Revolution − we're taking the Bastille!" as they stormed the mayor’s offices in Marseille, according to Le Monde.
The protests began last month at high schools in Paris' poor northern suburbs, where anger over teacher absences and shabby facilities quickly morphed into a nationwide movement against inequality, weak public spending and falling standards.
Key Points
- Macron: There is no room for violence in France
- Around 400 arrested on Saturday, says interior minister
- Teenage boy has hand torn off by grenade - reports
- 107 police officers injured in Marseille, three seriously
- Watch: Police vehicles targeted by violent protesters in Paris
- Paris protests in full swing as demonstrators clash with police
Police allowed to use stun grenades despite recent criticism
22:29 , Alex CroftThe police have drawn criticism for their response due to a grisly list of injuries among demonstrators, including one adolescent who had his hand blown off after picking up a stun grenade.
Lecornu said more than 900 police had also been injured.
The internal police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen cases of alleged police violence.
France suspended the use of stun grenades for the student demonstrations, but Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said they could be used on Saturday.
"If there were to be clashes, all types of intermediate weapons can be used," he told Telematin TV on Friday.
Teenage boy has hand torn off by grenade - reports
22:10 , Alex CroftA 17-year-old teenage boy has had his hand torn off by a grenade, according to reports.
An investigation has been opened to “determine the causes of the injuries” and will be lead by national police, the Saint-Étienne prosecutor's office said, according to Le Parisien.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez said: “We are told that it was a grenade from the gendarmerie. I cannot confirm that.
“There will obviously be an investigation.”
Roof of Limoges town hall collapses after being engulfed in flames
22:08 , Alex CroftA tow hall in the central French city of Limoges has collapsed after it was set on fire earlier on Saturday.
Dramatic footage shows the moment the historic building’s roof caved in as it was engulfed in flames.
"The roof has collapsed onto the lower floors, except in the west wing, and two-thirds of the facade have already disappeared," state representative Maurice Barate said according to Le Parisian.
Mr Barate described it as a "heritage catastrophe" and a "deliberate act by vandals."
Local authorities have advised residents to avoid the area for safety reasons.
La mairie de Limoges s’effondre… 🥹
— Destination Télé (@DestinationTele) October 17, 2026
Classé monument historique, le bâtiment existait depuis 150 ans (1876) pic.twitter.com/UW3Ej8UNm3
107 police officers injured in Marseille, three seriously
22:00 , Alex CroftIn Marseille, 107 police officers have been injured including three “seriously”, according to one of the areas prefects.
"Alongside the acts of looting and violence witnessed by the city of Marseille today, 107 police officers were injured, three of them very seriously," Jacques Witkowski, the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, said according to Le Parisien
He added: "I respectfully thank the law enforcement officers who were mobilized on the front lines throughout the day and who are still holding on. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured men and women."
Police vehicles targeted by violet protesters in Paris
21:51 , Alex CroftPolice vehicles have been targeted in Paris by violent protesters.
Footage shows the moment French police vehicles, some appearing to have burst tires, attempting to escape a crowd that were launching projectiles.
Des véhicules de police sont prises pour cible par la foule dans le secteur République à Paris.#Paris #17octobre pic.twitter.com/yMReav1Tie
— Luc Auffret (@LucAuffret) October 17, 2026
Melenchon urges protesters not to loot and pillage
21:48 , Alex CroftFrench left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has urged protesters not to loot and pillage in areas where clashes with police took place.
“I don't know who will hear my voice in such circumstances, but my message is clear: those who share our fight have no place in looting, in pillaging,” Melenchon, who has backed peaceful protests over cost of living concerns in France, wrote on X.
“Whatever the responsibilities of those in power and their incompetents and their violence, we must refuse to take part in actions without political meaning and contrary to our methods.”
Dans Paris, le commandement aberrant a ouvert la porte au chaos. Les chefs ne savent plus que faire, la troupe a peur et se déchaîne.
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) October 17, 2026
Je ne sais pas qui entendra ma voix dans de telles circonstances, mais mon message est clair : ceux qui partagent notre combat n'ont rien à faire…
In pictures: Protestors clash with police in violent demonstrations
21:30 , Alex Croft
Why are protests taking place at petrol stations and oil depots?
21:01 , Alex CroftAs demonstrations explode across France on Saturday, hundreds of people will head to petrol stations, oil depots, and refineries to protest.
The nationwide movement is part of a revolt against growing inequalities, including rising fuel prices and the cost of living.
Yellow Vests, one of the organisations leading today's protests, said 384 protests will take place at petrol stations in France, 38 at oil depots and five at refineries.
It said: “The gross refining margin has multiplied by 4.4 between the 2025 average and August 2026. It is 8.4 times higher than in May 2017, at the time of Emmanuel Macron's election.
“Over the same period, the distribution margin of the stations remained stable: 28.1 cents per litre of diesel before the crisis, 26.7 cents between March and May 2026.
“The action takes place in front of the pumps, where the price is displayed, and upstream: in front of the refineries, where the margin has been multiplied, and in front of the oil depots that supply the stations.”
A 19-year-old protester in Paris name Lola said: “We are fighting because the cost of living is too harsh, because the price of fuel is too high, because high school pupils are being violently attacked and hurt all over the country just for trying to protest and ask for more teachers and decent learning conditions.”
Watch: Police use tear gas and water cannon against protesters in Paris
20:31 , Alex CroftMacron: There is no room for violence in France
20:26 , Alex CroftWe’ve heard again from French president Emmanuel Macron who has said there is “no room for violence” after hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest France’s cost of living crisis on Saturday.
“Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished,” the French president said.
He expressed his support for law enforcement against the “sowers of chaos” who seek to “bring down our institutions”.
Aucune place pour la violence dans notre République.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 17, 2026
Ceux qui ont cassé, attaqué les préfectures comme les commerces, pillé jusqu’à nos mairies, seront poursuivis et punis.
Aux forces de l’ordre, garantes du droit à manifester, je dis le soutien de la Nation.
Nous ferons tous…
Around 400 arrested on Saturday, says interior minister
20:24 , Alex CroftAround 400 people have been arrested in Saturday’s widespread protests, Laurent Nunez, France’s Minister of the Interior has said.
Mr Nunez was speaking to French media after a day which has seen major clashes between demonstrators and police across the country.
His ministry says around 550,000 demonstrators participated in France, while organisers said there were around 800,000.
French police response placed under the microscope
19:59 , Alex CroftThe protests in France began last month at high schools in Paris' poor northern suburbs, where anger over teacher shortages and shabby facilities evolved into a broader movement focused on inequality, public spending and living standards.
But they have now spread into a widespread display of discontent over the cost of living in France.
Police tactics have drawn criticism following injuries among demonstrators, including a teenager who lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade.
Lecornu said more than 900 police officers had also been injured in previous protests.
The police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence.
France among several European countries facing unrest
19:28 , Alex CroftIn protests partly inspired by those in France, several hundred mostly young people protested in Brussels, and some clashed with police.
Belgian student groups have said they are protesting against rising education costs and reforms they fear will make higher education less accessible.
In Albania, police fired what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters during a fifth day of mass student demonstrations calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down.
In Portugal, tens of thousands took to the streets of Lisbon following days of unrest to protest against housing and other living costs. Housing prices in Portugal have doubled since 2017, fuelling one of the worst affordability crises in Europe.
In Italy, a march against high costs of living in Milan degenerated into disorder, with police clearing the central Cathedral square with tear gas.
Police in Bologna used water cannon to try to disperse crowds and made seven arrests after another protest turned violent, the ANSA news agency reported.
Hundreds arrested as protesters clash with police across France over rising living costs
18:59 , Alex CroftClashes have broken out between police and protesters in cities across France as tens of thousands of people angered by rising costs and declining public services took to the streets – in some of the country's most violent protests of recent times.
More than 270 people have been arrested across the country, while in Lyon, protesters torched the tourist office. In Marseille, the mayor said the town hall had been vandalised and that additional police were being sent to the city following talks with the government.
The protesters said most people were protesting peacefully and put much of the violence down to troublemakers who had set out to cause damage and clash with the police. The Interior Ministry said, however, that violence was increasing, and that there had been "confrontations with law enforcement, looting or attempted looting of shops, attacks on and damage to public buildings." It blamed the unrest on what it described as the "ultra-left".
Holly Evans brings the full report:
Tens of thousands protest in France over rising prices – with more than 270 arrests
Protesters draw parallels with French Revolution
18:35 , Alex CroftFrench protesters have chanted that another revolution is underway, with hundreds of protesters arrested as demonstrations sweep across France over the cost of living crisis.
"It's the Revolution − we're taking the Bastille!" shouted protesters as they stormed the mayor’s offices in Marseille, according to Le Monde, drawing comparison to the French Revolution of 1789.
In La Rochelle, marchers held placards reading “revolution or death”, while in Montpellier signs read: “the people will win”.
How mass protests unfolded across France today
18:04 , Harriette BoucherThousands of people spilled onto the streets early this morning to protest falling education standards and the cost of living in France.
Large groups gathered in Paris and Marseille ahead of the official marches and more than 150 arrests were made before midday.
Just a couple of hours later, huge demonstrations erupted across the whole country, with tens of thousands of people taking part.
Police have been out in full force, firing tear gas, using stun grenades, water cannons, and chasing protesters with batons.
French president Emmanuel Macron appealed for “calm” and called on demonstrators to show “respect for people and property”.
According to the Yellow Vests, one of the organisations leading today's protests, there were 1,756 mobilisations taking place on Saturday, including 811 demonstrations.
Masked protesters stormed Marseille's town hall after ramming the doors with security barriers in the morning, and were followed by attacks on town halls in Grenoble and Lille.
Protesters later set fire to the tourism office in Lyon in eastern France and attempted to prevent firefighters from tackling the blaze.
Elsewhere across France, businesses and schools have been vandalised and looted.
Some 272 people had been arrested by mid-afternoon after violent incidents involving hooded individuals, including in Paris, Marseille in the south, Rennes in the northwest, Toulouse in the southwest and Angers in the west, the Interior Ministry said.
In pictures: Chaos in Brussels as protests inspired by France erupt
17:47 , Harriette Boucher
Dozens of shops looted by rioters across Marseille
17:38 , Harriette BoucherDozens of shops have been looted in Marseille where protests erupted early on Saturday.
Local media has reported that several businesses, including food shops and luxury goods stores, have come under attack.
Marseille's naval firefighters said they had been called to a sports shoe shop after a fire broke out inside.
Earlier, rioters stormed the city’s town hall, shouting: “It's the Revolution, we're taking the Bastille.”
The mayor of Marseille had said additional police were being sent to the city following talks with the prime minister and interior minister.
French prime minister blames ultraleft groups for 'orchestrated violence'
17:21 , Harriette BoucherMore scenes from France amid escalating unrest
17:13 , Harriette Boucher
Rapid-response riot police deployed in Paris
16:50 , Harriette BoucherA rapid-response riot police force has been deployed in Paris as protests continue to cause disruption.
Paris police said: “Like other mobile force units reinforcing the police prefecture’s staff, CRS 8 is intervening in the Les Halles area.
“Given the expectation that the processions would be highly mobile, an agile deployment strategy was adopted, with units intervening systematically to restore calm.”
The CRS 8 unit specialises in urban violence and high-intensity crowd control.
Peaceful youth protests have been 'infiltrated'
16:38 , Harriette BoucherPeaceful youth protests have been “infiltrated” by almost professional, “far-left provocateurs”, a French journalist and commentator has claimed.
Agnes Poirier described Saturday’s scenes as “very young people, who have no culture of protest and demonstration, and who are infiltrated by opportunists”.
She told Sky News: “Either radical left, far-left provocateurs - we call them the Black Blocs - and they are almost professionals, and also some thugs and delinquents.
“It's very difficult for the police to actually distinguish sometimes between the young protesting... and a combination of radicalised, professional, far-left militants and thugs”.
Burning of iconic Lyon tourist office is a 'tragedy'
16:20 , Harriette BoucherThe burning of Lyon’s iconic tourist office is a “tragedy” for the city, the mayor has said.
Pictures showed masked and hooded demonstrators smashing the windows of the historic building before setting it alight on Saturday.
They then attempted to prevent firefighters from safely tackling the blaze, police said.
Mayor Grégory Doucet told BFMTV: “It breaks our hearts because it's a very iconic, well-known historic building, so the fact that rioters attacked it and set it on fire is a tragedy for us.”
He said he had ordered police to focus on protecting public buildings.
Young protesters attack high school and city hall in Lille
16:14 , Harriette Boucher
Marine Le Pen accuses rioters of 'poisoning' protests across France
15:59 , Holly EvansMarine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France’s hard-right National Rally (RN), has accused "rioters" of "poisoning" Saturday’s protests across the country.
She also took aim at Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI - France Unbowed), who she said were “legitimising violence”.
She wrote on social media: “Legitimate social demands have once again been held hostage by the far left and the speeches of Jean-Luc Mélenchon's deputies, who, by legitimizing violence, viewing order as oppression and disorder as a right, seek to plunge the country into chaos.
“Faced with this incendiary strategy, the French people, who can no longer bear being caught between the austerity and fiscal hammering of those in power and the insurrectionary activists, must hold out for a few more months.
“We will free them from Macronist toxic policies and protect them from the violence of the far left.”
Piller, saccager, détruire, attaquer les forces de l’ordre : les émeutiers ont de nouveau pourri les manifestations du 17 octobre pour la défense du pouvoir d’achat.
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) October 17, 2026
Les revendications sociales légitimes ont une nouvelle fois été prises en otage par l’extrême gauche et les…
Protesters attempting to 'converge on seats of power', French ministry says
15:49 , Holly EvansThe French interior ministry has said that “several unsanctioned protest groups are attempting to converge on seats of power”.
With over 270 people arrested, the ministry said that police and law enforcement is continuing to stop protesters and to secure institutional sites.
They listed the following hotspots:
- In Paris, protests have turned violent in Place de la Republique, with a water cannon deployed
- In Marseille, intruders entered the city hall and businesses were vandalised
- In Lyon, the tourist office was set on fire and shops were damaged
- In Avignon, individuals entered the courtyard of the Vaucluse prefecture
- In Grenoble, the city hall was damaged
- In Pau, Montpellier, Toulouse and Valence, businesses have been vandalised
In pictures: Rioters hide behind barricade and vehicles set alight
15:41 , Holly Evans
Demonstrators clash with police in Brussels in protests inspired by France
15:28 , Holly EvansSeveral hundred mostly young people protested in Brussels on Saturday, with rioters clashing with police in unrest partly inspired by demonstrations in neighbouring France.
Belgian student groups have said they are protesting against rising education costs and reforms they fear will make higher education less accessible.
Demonstrators gathered in central Brussels, many wearing masks and chanting anti-fascist slogans. Police used tear gas and water cannon, while some protesters overturned a car, according to a Reuters witness.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said in a post on X that "what is unfolding in Brussels is no longer mere protest" and "all necessary means will be used to restore order in the face of the rioters".
A protest also took place in the eastern city of Liège, where students earlier this month demonstrated over the French-language education system, citing rising education costs and difficulties accessing study materials.
Tourism office in Lyon set on fire
14:57 , Holly EvansProtesters have set fire to the tourism office in Lyon in eastern France.
Pictures have shown masked and hooded demonstrators smashing the windows before setting it ablaze.
Local police say "hostile individuals" are preventing firefighters from safely tackling the blaze, while police officers are working to "disperse the violent groups".
More than 270 people arrested as protests turn violent
14:48 , Holly EvansSome 272 people had been arrested by mid-afternoon after violent incidents involving hooded individuals, including in Paris, Marseille in the south, Rennes in the northwest, Toulouse in the southwest and Angers in the west, the Interior Ministry said.
"Such actions include attempted looting, confrontations with law enforcement, the setting of fires to street furniture and the targeting of seats of power and media outlets," it said, blaming the unrest on what it described as the "ultra-left".
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in some of the country's most violent protests in years over rising costs and declining public services.
What is happening across France?
14:32 , Holly EvansScuffles broke out Saturday across France between police and protesters as part of nationwide demonstrations against rising living costs and in support of high school students' grievances.
A car and a newspaper kiosk were set on fire on Paris' Place de la République as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups of protesters.
In Lyon, France's third largest city, fire broke out inside a tourist office.
Smoke and flames were seen rising from the building.In the southern port city of Marseille, some shops and a municipal police station were damaged, while some protesters briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall.
Paris police share video of protest
14:06 , Holly EvansPolice in Paris have shared a video on social media showing the protests taking place in the capital, with many seen throwing stones and firing objects into the crowd.
Many of the demonstrators are hooded and masked, with another clip showing the electrical wiring inside a lamppost being set alight.
#17octobre | À 14h00, le cortège s’élancera. Des individus hostiles se trouvent place de la #République.
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) October 17, 2026
Sont-ils venus pour manifester ? pic.twitter.com/TsKpgpWBdt
Police confiscate face masks and anti-tear gas gear
13:56 , Harriette BoucherParis protests in full swing as demonstrators clash with police
13:51 , Harriette BoucherMass demonstrations are in full swing in Paris, as a march kicked off from the city centre this afternoon.
Hundreds gathered at Place de la République this morning where police fired tear gas to push back people wearing hoods and masks and throwing fireworks and other objects at officers.
Large numbers of riot police were deployed in the square and surrounding streets, with footage showing officers chasing protesters with batons.
Around 100 people have already been arrested across the Paris region, according to BFMTV.
Another 140 protest actions outside the Paris region, involving over 30,000 people, have also been recorded, interior minister Laurent Nuñez's office said.
Protesters vandalise Marseille's town hall
13:34 , Harriette BoucherMasked protesters broke into Marseille's town hall on Saturday morning after ramming the doors with security barriers.
“It's the Revolution, we're taking the Bastille,” the protesters were heard shouting.
Photos from the aftermath show chairs and tables strewn on the floor, broken glass, a damaged television screen, and the Anarchist ‘A’ symbol drawn on a wall inside the hall.
The mayor said the town hall had been vandalised and that additional police were being sent to the city following talks with the prime minister and interior minister.
Why are protests taking place at petrol stations and oil depots?
13:25 , Harriette BoucherAs demonstrations explode across France on Saturday, hundreds of people will head to petrol stations, oil depots, and refineries to protest.
The nationwide movement is part of a revolt against growing inequalities, including rising fuel prices and the cost of living.
Yellow Vests, one of the organisations leading today's protests, said 384 protests will take place at petrol stations in France, 38 at oil depots and five at refineries.
It said: “The gross refining margin has multiplied by 4.4 between the 2025 average and August 2026. It is 8.4 times higher than in May 2017, at the time of Emmanuel Macron's election.
“Over the same period, the distribution margin of the stations remained stable: 28.1 cents per litre of diesel before the crisis, 26.7 cents between March and May 2026.
“The action takes place in front of the pumps, where the price is displayed, and upstream: in front of the refineries, where the margin has been multiplied, and in front of the oil depots that supply the stations.”
A 19-year-old protester in Paris name Lola said: “We are fighting because the cost of living is too harsh, because the price of fuel is too high, because high school pupils are being violently attacked and hurt all over the country just for trying to protest and ask for more teachers and decent learning conditions.”
Thousands of protests planned across the country, map shows
13:14 , Harriette BoucherThousands of protests are planned across France today, a map published by the Yellow Vests, one of the organisations leading today's protests, has revealed.
According to the group, 1,756 “mobilisations” are taking place on Saturday, which includes 811 demonstrations.
It also includes protests at petrol stations, train stations, refineries, oil depots, and ports.
Paris and Marseille have been the main areas for protests so far this morning.
Paris police: 'We do not back down in the face of rioters'
12:54 , Harriette BoucherParis police have told protestors that they will “not back down” as demonstrations erupt across the capital today,
More than 150 people have been arrested across France, with Paris police firing tear gas at protesters climbing on monuments.
“We do not back down in the face of rioters and those who come to attack the law enforcement forces,” the force wrote on X.
“On Republic, the police are targeted by hostile individuals who have come looking for a fight.
“They face it with courage and professionalism.”
Earlier this morning, police called on protestors to “express their demands calmly and in respect for public order.
“Demonstrating is a right. Disrupting traffic on public roads is not,” the force said.
Macron appeals for 'calm' ahead of protests
12:49 , Holly EvansAhead of Saturday’s protests, French president Emmanuel Macron appealed for “calm”.
He said that while he believes in the right to protest, he called on demonstrators to show “respect for people and property”.
Mr Macron is enteringthe final stretch of his presidency ahead of elections in 2027, leaving behind a polarised electorate and a badly fragmented political landscape.
A long struggle to reduce rising public debt has not impressed investors, who are ditching French bonds, driving borrowing costs to their highest levels in more than two decades.
More than 150 people arrested by French police over violent clashes
12:45 , Holly EvansThe French interior ministry has said that 166 arrests had been made across the country, while 140 separate actions involving 33,000 people had been recorded.
"The movement is marked by a very strong mobilisation of far-left elements, whose sole intent is to incite disorder," the ministry says.
Demonstrations have involved "targeted acts of violence" from "hooded individuals" in areas like Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers, it adds.
Protesters have been accused of looting, attacking police, starting fires and targeting government institutions.
Security forces have responded "swiftly and decisively", it says, adding: "There is a very high probability that far-left elements will attempt to escalate the situation during this afternoon’s marches."
Protester says they are demonstrating over 'harsh' cost of living
12:40 , Holly EvansHundreds of other protests were planned across France, with tens of thousands set to participate.
Protesters in hi-vis vests blocked streets, an echo of the unrest that dogged President Emmanuel Macron's previous term, while in Marseille, trash cans were set alight.
"We are fighting because the cost of living is too harsh, because the price of fuel is too high, because high school pupils are being violently attacked and hurt all over the country just for trying to protest and ask for more teachers and decent learning conditions," said a 19-year-old protester in Paris who gave her name as Lola.
In pictures: Clashes turn violent in Paris
12:31 , Holly Evans
Paris police make 40 arrests
12:22 , Holly EvansPolice in Paris say they had already made 40 arrests by 09:30 local time (08:30 BST).
In an update on X, they said these were "primarily for carrying weapons or prohibited protective gear”.
The streets of Paris could see as many as 40,000 people turn out to demonstrate, with widespread protests also taking place across the rest of the country.
Police say "enhanced checks" are being carried out "to prevent risks and ensure everyone's safety".
Widespread protests take place across France
12:20 , Holly EvansDemonstrations have began across France on Saturday in what is expected to become a major nationwide protest against high prices and the fraying of a model intended to provide a basic level of opportunity and social security.
The protests began last month at high schools in Paris' poor northern suburbs, where anger over teacher absences and shabby facilities quickly morphed into a nationwide movement against inequality, weak public spending and falling standards.
A large police presence was visible in central Paris, especially near landmarks such as the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, which were excluded from the routes of the two official demonstrations.
