In brief
Over 140,000 protesters took to the streets of France on Saturday, demanding a response to the cost of living crisis. Police deployed 70,000 officers and used tear gas in the capitals, with clashes reported by both state and union sources. The march follows a series of student‑led protests that have broadened to include broad economic grievances ahead of the April presidential election.
On Saturday, 2026‑11‑07, more than 140,000 people marched across France in a fourth consecutive weekend of protests demanding action on the rising cost of living. The rallies spanned the country, drawing in students, workers and unions, and sparked clashes with police who deployed tear gas in the capitals of Paris and Lyon.
State officials reported that the Ministry of the Interior recorded 146,000 participants nationwide, including 46,000 in Paris. Unions put the figure higher, claiming 250,000 nationals joined the demonstrations, with 75,000 of them in the capital. Both accounts place Paris at a markedly lower turnout than recent weeks, yet the crowds were still enough to trigger police crackdowns. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that authorities would be "ready and waiting" for anyone engaging in rioting or looting, and affirmed that a 70,000‑strong security force had been mobilised across the nation to keep order.
Police Response
Footage released by the CLPRESS news agency showed police pursuing protesters in the city centre and deploying tear gas to disperse crowds. An incident in the southern city of Lyon saw officers firing tear gas against several hundred people who were allegedly blocking a road during an unauthorised gathering. In Paris, police reported that a group of 200 individuals attacked officers after an arrest was underway for a man who had set fire to a rubbish bin in a public square. A police officer appeared in footage striking a protester with a baton, underscoring the tense encounters between law enforcement and demonstrators.
Protesters’ Voices
Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, who covered the protests from the French capital, spoke with activists at the scene. Natacha Butler said,
I spoke to one railway worker who told me it was really important to be here today. He said not only was it important to protest against the cost of living, but that it was also important to support young people.She added,
Many of the workers that I’ve been speaking to say this is their time to really press the government for higher salaries and better facilities.Butler highlighted that the movement, which began in September over unsatisfactory schooling conditions, had expanded to encompass a broad range of grievances linked to the worsening living standards in France.
These protests unfold against the backdrop of France’s upcoming presidential election in April, adding to an already tense political atmosphere that pits far‑right and far‑left candidates against each other in a campaign shaped by economic anxieties. The demonstrations have continued to broaden in scale and scope, with students, education staff, railway workers and a range of union members finding common cause in demanding a tougher stance from the government on the cost of living and workers’ conditions.
While the Ministry of the Interior and trade unions present differing participant numbers, the clarity of the event is undeniable: a massive public outcry against rising costs, heightened police presence and a nationwide public press for equitable economic policy ahead of a pivotal national election.
