More than 400,000 people demonstrated across France over education funding and rising living costs, challenging President Emmanuel Macron’s government. Clashes erupted in Paris and other cities, with nearly 1,000 people arrested nationwide.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police faced “an extremely elevated level of violence” from black-clad “ultra-left” extremists. Officers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds.

The Interior Ministry estimated 410,000 demonstrators nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris. The capital’s march was confined to the southeastern outskirts to avoid areas damaged during the previous weekend’s unrest.

The Paris protest began peacefully but turned violent near Porte de Vincennes, where some demonstrators threw objects at police. Similar confrontations occurred in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille, Toulouse, Montpellier and Nantes.

Nuñez reported two people seriously injured, including a man in Toulouse who reportedly lost fingers in an explosion. Paris prosecutors said 64 people were arrested, including six minors, and 40 were placed in police custody.

Macron Faces Growing Pressure

With Macron’s presidency nearing its end ahead of May’s succession election, the unrest threatens his authority. The far-right National Rally has accused his government of failing to protect the public.

Authorities deployed up to 70,000 officers nationwide, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons.

Camille Chesnier, 27, who holds engineering and master’s degrees, said she could not find work.

“There are enormous numbers of people in the same situation as me but who aren’t privileged and who find themselves living on the streets and in squats and, frankly, it’s very tough,” she said.

The movement began last month over staffing shortages at a high school southeast of Paris before spreading nationwide.

Students Demand Education Reforms

Public middle and high schools lost 15.4 million teaching hours in 2024–2025 because absent teachers were not replaced, according to Education Ministry figures. That represented 7.5% of scheduled instruction.

After meeting high school representatives Friday, Macron reportedly promised changes to university admissions. Students say they will continue protesting until concrete measures are announced.

Their demands include 250,000 additional higher-education places, ending selection through Parcoursup, hiring more teachers, repairing schools and universities, increasing student grants by €200 monthly and freezing public student-housing rents.

Teacher Bénédicte Pittion, 46, marched in Paris with her 16-year-old daughter, Garance.

“The young people who have been demonstrating have not been heard, and as a parent and as a teacher, I stand with them,” Pittion said.

Garance said she was “really scared” after seeing footage of the previous weekend’s violence but argued that staying home would hand the government a victory.

Soumaya Abed, a 58-year-old nurse, accused authorities of exploiting the earlier unrest to suppress dissent.

“They are using what happened last week as an excuse to quiet protesters,” she said. “But it won’t stop the movement. It won’t stop students from demanding better conditions in schools.”

Protests Spread Across France and Italy

Authorities estimated 17,000 demonstrators in Marseille, while the CGT union claimed 100,000. Officials counted 26,500 protesters in Toulouse. Authorities banned rallies in cities including Lyon, Nice and Montpellier, prompting unions to accuse the government of restricting constitutionally protected free expression.

Thousands also demonstrated peacefully against the far right in Orléans while Marine Le Pen’s National Rally held a two-day congress there.

The protests follow last weekend’s violence, when more than 500,000 people took to the streets and approximately 3,000 shops were damaged or looted. Nuñez acknowledged that police had lost control in some cities. He offered to resign, but Macron refused.

The Yellow Vest movement has called for another day of demonstrations on October 31.

In Italy, protests over living costs, war and military rearmament drew crowds across the country. Clashes occurred in Turin, Rome and Bologna, while demonstrations in Milan remained largely peaceful. Reuters witnesses reported no looting or vandalism Saturday.

Police in Milan detained a person for questioning over suspected involvement in organizing the previous weekend’s demonstrations, known as the “October 17 Movement.”

Inflation Adds to Public Frustration

France’s statistics agency, INSEE, reported that energy prices rose 21.3% year over year in September, contributing to inflation of 3.1%.

Paris demonstrator Louis Ledoux-Xatard warned that inequality was becoming increasingly troubling.

“Looking at countries like the United States, we don’t want to end up like them, where part of the population has everything and the others have nothing,” he said.

“I never imagined that I’d be taking to the streets so much before my thirties.”