French Police Deploy Tear Gas Against Masked Rioters After 320,000 March in Protest

Police fired tear gas and stun grenades in Paris, Marseille, and other French cities on Saturday as masked rioters clashed with security forces following a nationwide march. The interior ministry reported that approximately 320,000 demonstrators took part in the rallies, a decrease from the 410,000 estimated in the previous weekend's protests. In Paris alone, 70,000 people marched along boulevards on the city's southeastern outskirts, deliberately avoiding the central districts.

The demonstrations began peacefully but deteriorated as evening approached. At the Porte de Charenton in Paris, dozens of masked individuals dressed in black used hammers to pry up paving stones and throw them at police. French media reported that at least one incendiary device was also hurled at security forces. The Paris police prefecture stated that a "hardcore of several hundred rioters" attacked officers with projectiles, including a molotov cocktail. Officers responded with baton charges while maneuvering to restore public order.

Similar scenes unfolded in other major cities. In Lyon, protesters threw projectiles at police, prompting the use of tear gas. In Toulouse, police deployed water cannons against an unauthorized protest that drew several thousand mostly young demonstrators. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had warned earlier in the week that Saturday presented a "very high risk" for violence. He ordered 70,000 police and gendarmes, including elite units, to be deployed to manage the crowds and quell unrest on the sidelines of the marches.

The crowds included school students, trade unions, and yellow vest protesters united by anger over rising costs and public service conditions. Jérôme Rodrigues, a protester in Paris, criticized the government's management of the economy. "The French economy is doing badly no matter what happens, because today we're being run by a group of incompetents who juggle billions while families are struggling with a few cents," Rodrigues said. He added that the group is there to "keep shouting our demands louder and louder."

Camille Guérin, a protester in Nantes, voiced support for student demands and opposition to the cost of living. "We say no to the cost of living, no to the far right, yes to high school students' demands, yes to giving citizens a voice," Guérin said. The current wave of unrest follows widespread street violence and looting in mid-October, which marked one of the worst days of civil unrest in recent French history.

Student organizations plan to continue their pressure on the government. Sabrine Kharbach of the Union Étudiante announced new high school and university blockades are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. Following those actions, students will join a demonstration on November 5 called by workers and trade unions.

Protests also occurred across Europe, with police in Germany using water cannons to disperse crowds in Cologne and Frankfurt after fireworks were thrown. In Berlin, protesters hurled bottles and eggs, while barricades were set on fire in Hamburg. Police in Barcelona and Italy remained on alert following recent clashes and online calls for new gatherings.

The Paris march started near the Porte de Bagnolet with placards reading "No need for teargas to make our future look bleak" and "Disguised as an angry citizen for Halloween." A helicopter flew overhead as the group moved toward their destination.