France's third protest Saturday draws 320,000 on official count, 500,000 per unions

Turnout and the competing counts

Protesters across France marched on Saturday 31 October 2026 in the third consecutive weekend of mobilization against the cost of living. The Interior Ministry counted about 320,000 people nationwide, down from 410,000 on Saturday 24 October. Organizers reported higher numbers: the student and youth union coalition put the total close to 500,000, while the CGT union cited 800,000, according to RTVE. Police counted 70,000 marchers in Paris, whereas student unions put the figure at 200,000.

2026-10-24410,000

2026-10-31320,000

2026-10-24

410000 people

2026-10-31

320000 people

Data from the article text

Police prefecture count70,000

Student unions' estimate200,000

Police prefecture count

70000 people

Student unions' estimate

200000 people

Data from the article text

Demands and the government response

Students started the wave of protests in late September with blockades of schools over the state of public education, RTVE reported. The movement has since spread to young people, yellow vest activists, pensioners and teachers, according to EL PAÍS. Participants cited the cost of living, inequality and the condition of schools, where some described missing teachers and broken facilities. François Pozzo di Borgo, secretary general of the Fuerza Obrera-Liceos y Colegios union, told BFMTV that the government's proposals were mainly adjustments and had not answered the demands on the Parcoursup admissions system or the latest reform of the baccalaureate and secondary education. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise, said the turnout matched the previous week despite closed metro stations and a change of starting point, and accused the government of minimizing the figures.

Police deployment and Halloween

Authorities deployed around 70,000 police officers, supported by elite units, canine teams, helicopters and drones, according to EL PAÍS. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned that Halloween would not excuse concealing faces in public to commit violence. The ministry flagged a high risk of public order disruption and the infiltration of about 500 far-left radicals. Social media posts calling for 'revolution' and 'insurrection' circulated six months before the presidential elections, according to Deutsche Welle. LaSexta reported night restrictions in Paris and Marseille tied to masks worn for Halloween.

Route dispute and clashes

In Paris, the police prefecture banned the unions' planned route from the Bastille to the Place de la Nation. After a legal back-and-forth, the authorized march began at the Porte de Bagnolet at 14:00 and ended at the Porte de Charenton, according to RTVE. Tension rose once the march reached that point, and some demonstrators refused to disperse. Police responded with tear gas, and officers faced projectiles, a Molotov cocktail and paving stones thrown by a group of 200 to 300 rioters at the rear of the march, according to ABC citing the Paris police. In Lyon and Toulouse police used tear gas, and in Marseille containers were set alight. The Interior Ministry put arrests at 296 by the evening, with ABC reporting close to 300 nationwide, more than 60 of them in Paris. An earlier LaSexta count had listed 27 detentions.

Earlier waves

The first nationwide day, Act I on 17 October, was marked by vandalism, violence and looting across much of the country, according to ABC. Act II on 24 October drew 410,000 people by official count, and the government then also deployed a large police operation. Act III on Saturday 31 October followed the same pattern of mostly peaceful marches with violence at their end. Germany also saw protests led by young people, where police used water cannon, according to Deutsche Welle.