France Protests Draw 320,000 as Turnout Falls for Second Week
Key Facts
About 320,000 people took part in protests across France on Saturday, October 31, according to the government’s estimate, as turnout declined for a second consecutive week amid demands from students and over living costs. The Associated Press reported that authorities deployed about 70,000 police officers and gendarmes and reported more than 560 arrests by Saturday evening. Gatherings in Paris and other cities saw tear gas used and sporadic fires break out, according to the same coverage. The protests come as French gross domestic product contracted in the third quarter, while household goods consumption fell in September. The demonstrations brought together grievances over education and the cost of living, as calls for a new student mobilization continued.
The French crowd remained below government estimates for previous protests: 550,000 took part on October 17, followed by 410,000 on October 24, before the number fell to 320,000 on October 31. These are estimates by the French government and do not represent organizers’ estimates. At the October 24 protests, the Interior Ministry said 110,000 people took part in Paris, while the CGT union put the number in the capital at 250,000. Police reported nearly 1,000 arrests at the time. The divergence between the two Paris estimates highlights the wide gap between the authorities’ and the union’s counts of that day’s crowd.
The French protests began last month, initiated by high school students protesting deteriorating school buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system they consider unfair to less advantaged students, the Associated Press reported. Demands widened to include the cost of living, while gatherings in Paris and other cities ended amid tear gas and sporadic fires. President Emmanuel Macron met high school student representatives on Friday, and students said he had promised to reform the university admissions system. But they called for protests to continue until authorities announce concrete measures. Student unions also called for high schools and universities to close on the Tuesday and Thursday following the protests, according to Independent Arabia.
In Germany, youth protests took place in more than 30 cities under the initiative “Gen Z regelt,” calling for investment in education and health, climate protection and affordable living, and opposing a return to compulsory military service. Official turnout figures were not immediately available, so the information at hand does not support an estimate of the German crowd comparable to the French estimate. Frankfurt, Cologne and Hamburg saw unrest, the Associated Press reported. In central Frankfurt, some rioters smashed shop windows and stole goods from inside. Police used water cannons and tear gas in Cologne and Hamburg, while a march in Cologne was ended early.
A high school student in Berlin described conditions at her school during the protests, saying, “The ceiling is collapsing because of water damage, nobody is doing anything, we have a shortage of teachers, and the bathrooms are out of order.” The student linked these complaints to calls for increased investment in education. These indicators place the protests in the context of pressure on activity and spending, with monthly and quarterly consumption data showing different trajectories.
In detail, consumption of manufactured goods in France fell 1.1% in September, after rising 0.8% in the previous month, while food consumption fell 0.2% after declining 1.1% in August. By contrast, energy consumption rose 0.2% after falling 2.4% in the previous month. The National Institute of Statistics is scheduled to release household goods consumption data for October on November 27, 2026, at 08:45. The institute has also scheduled the detailed third-quarter national accounts results for the same date and time. The initial estimate of fourth-quarter gross domestic product is due on January 29, 2027, at 07:30.