Demonstrations over living costs and schools
Demonstrations took place across France amid anger over the cost of living, school conditions and public services. The movement grew from student protests over staff shortages and deteriorating facilities, and drew support from trade union members and other protesters. Authorities estimated that about 550,000 people took part, while organisers put the figure at 800,000.
The main marches were described as peaceful, but separate groups were involved in clashes, fires and looting. In Paris, police used tear gas as violence flared around Place de la République. Disorder and damage were also reported in cities including Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Limoges. Nearly 2,400 arrests were reported across France.
Deaths, injuries and arrests
More than 600 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were reported injured. The Interior Ministry’s Laurent Nuñez gave the figure, while another account put the number of injured police and gendarmes at about 1,000.
A protester died after suffering a cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris. The available reports do not establish that the death was caused by the violence. A police officer’s death in Nantes was also reported, but the circumstances are not consistently supported across the supplied accounts and are not included as an established death toll.
Two teenagers sustained grave injuries during the protests. In Saint-Étienne, a 17-year-old boy lost his right hand after a crowd-control grenade exploded; in Mulhouse, a 17-year-old girl lost an eye. An investigation was opened into the Mulhouse injury.
Damage to public buildings and businesses
Limoges town hall, a 19th-century building, was set alight and its roof collapsed. Lyon’s tourist office was also burned, while damage to public buildings and businesses was reported in several other cities.
Traders’ unions said that more than 1,500 shops and businesses had been ransacked, with losses running into tens of millions of euros. The estimate was attributed to the unions rather than presented as a verified item-by-item count.
Carrefour chief executive Alexandre Bompard said that 50 of the company’s shops had been damaged, including 20 that were looted, with losses from the damage running into tens of millions of euros. A separate report gave a much higher figure for affected stores, so no wider Carrefour total is stated here.
Macron condemns violence as political criticism grows
In a televised address after the unrest, President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence and said those who looted would have to pay for the damage and those responsible would be held accountable. He distinguished between peaceful protesters with legitimate demands and people who destroyed property.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez attributed the violence to radical far-left groups and criminals. He said the right to protest was fundamental but did not extend to deliberately creating disorder through violence. Politicians from both the far right and far left called for Nuñez’s resignation, citing alleged failures in preparation and intelligence.
Macron said local officials could ban certain gatherings where necessary and called for calm. He also asked the government to bring together students, teachers, trade union representatives and others to discuss proposals addressing the grievances. His address did not announce a state of emergency.