Protests Turn Violent in Paris as Demonstrations Enter Third Weekend

Demonstrations in Paris turned chaotic on Saturday as a protest movement that began among high school students entered its third consecutive weekend. The march, which coincided with Halloween, drew an estimated 70,000 participants in the capital and approximately 320,000 nationwide. Authorities deployed 70,000 police officers and gendarmes in an effort to manage the crowds and prevent the violence seen in previous weeks, ultimately arresting more than 500 people.

The protest movement originated in September among students frustrated by worsening conditions in their school buildings, such as broken windows, missing ceilings, and chronically out-of-order facilities. What started as a student grievance has since expanded to include trade unions, teachers, and activists, drawing attention to broader societal issues like the rising cost of living. Ahead of the weekend, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez banned face coverings along the march route, citing a high risk of public disorder.

The march began near the Porte de Bagnolet train station along a roughly 2.5-mile route where participants sang, danced, and wore Halloween costumes. However, as the procession neared its endpoint near the Porte de Charenton train station, tensions escalated. Riot police sought to disperse the crowd by firing tear gas grenades and impact munitions into the gathering.

As chemical irritants filled the air and stun grenades detonated, panicked marchers scrambled for shelter while volunteers distributed eye drops to those affected. While most protesters fled the area, smaller groups of individuals remained behind. Some participants hurled glass bottles, rocks, and incendiary devices at law enforcement officers.

During the confrontations, a Molotov cocktail struck a gendarme, engulfing his leg and riot shield in flames before fellow officers intervened to extinguish the fire. Paris prosecutors subsequently launched an attempted-murder investigation into the incident, though no suspects have been identified. Scattered pockets of violence persisted into the night, with police targeted by fireworks and green laser pointers, and at least one vehicle set ablaze.

The widespread unrest has also intensified scrutiny regarding police tactics. Amnesty International France has renewed calls to ban certain less-lethal weapons, including the impact munitions used outside the Porte de Charenton station. The scrutiny follows an incident on October 5 in the northern town of Lens, where a 15-year-old student picked up a stun grenade during a protest with the intent to throw it back at law enforcement, resulting in an explosion that blew off his left hand.