Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in France on Saturday, 17 October, against the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services. The day combined peaceful marches with unrest in several cities that led to about 1,200 arrests and 150 police officers injured, according to the government’s tally. President Emmanuel Macron announced that those responsible for attacks and looting would be prosecuted.
Attendance estimates differ: Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez put the number of participants nationwide at around 550,000, while the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) put it at 800,000. Both estimates reflect the nationwide scale of a mobilization whose demands include better services and measures to address the rising cost of living.
The main march took place in Paris. While a large proportion of attendees protested peacefully, minority groups attacked public buildings, looted businesses and clashed with police. That distinction is important to understanding the day: violent acts do not describe everyone who took to the streets to demonstrate.
The damage reported included the burning of Limoges city hall and the Lyon tourist office. There were also attacks and damage to public facilities in Marseille. Incidents occurred in different parts of the country, with looting or attempted looting and assaults on police officers and vehicles.
Macron condemned the violence and said those who destroyed businesses, attacked prefectures or looted city halls would have to answer to the courts. His message also defended the right to express grievances peacefully, in contrast to the groups that sparked the unrest.
The mobilization keeps the dispute over living conditions and public services alive. The CGT is calling for increases in wages and pensions, as well as the reinstatement of a wealth tax. The union called for peaceful protests to continue alongside young people and announced an inter-union strike day for 5 November.
Image: Emmanuel Macron during a ceremony in Colmar, France, on February 2, 2025. File photo; it does not show the protests.
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