OCTOBER 18, 2026 07:37

Rioting broke out in cities throughout France on Saturday as marches against higher living expenses and weakening public services turned chaotic in some of the most severe clashes the nation has seen in decades.

While hundreds of thousands marched calmly through streets in many cities, radical groups struck public structures, raided upscale shops and grocery stores, and assaulted police cars along with officers.

In Limoges the municipal building was set ablaze, in Marseille masked demonstrators entered city hall and marked it with anarchist slogans, and in Lyon protesters burned the local tourist office.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government would refuse to yield to threats from violence and pointed to the far-left along with criminals as responsible just months ahead of next year's presidential vote.

"To those who clearly want to use this violence as a 'warm-up' before the presidential election, I say clearly: We will not let ourselves be intimidated. No one will impose their political agenda through violence," he wrote in a post on X/Twitter.

Some 1,200 people had been detained during the marches, Lecornu added while visiting affected sites in the evening.

Around 550,000 people had joined demonstrations nationwide, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. The CGT union told Reuters it estimated the total at 800,000.

President Emmanuel Macron pledged to pursue and penalize those behind the attacks.

"We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who only seek to undermine our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so," he wrote in a post on X.

Protests spread across Europe amid rising living costs

Belgium, Portugal, and Italy also saw smaller protests on Saturday as living expenses climb across Europe, while demonstrators in Albania again rallied against perceived government corruption, job shortages, and poor education standards.

Protesters said most people had marched calmly and blamed much of the violence on agitators who aimed to cause damage and confront police. Many carried signs with messages against police, the president, and the wealthy.

"We are fighting because the cost of living is too harsh, because the price of fuel is too high, because high school pupils are being violently attacked and hurt all over the country just for trying to protest and ask for more teachers and decent learning conditions," said Lola, a 19-year-old protester in Paris.

Most protests began around midday, with some starting before the scheduled start of the marches.

In parts of Paris, police used tear gas as they pulled back from mostly young demonstrators, many dressed in black with hoodies, masks, and goggles for protection.

Rioters attempted to enter the Galeries Lafayette department store, damaged banks, ransacked a Lacoste store and other boutiques, and looted an SFR mobile phone shop. Protesters had set objects on fire throughout the day, including many cars.

In protests partly inspired by those in France, several hundred mostly young people marched in Brussels, and some clashed with police. Belgian student groups have said they are protesting against rising education costs and reforms they fear will make higher education less accessible.

In Albania, police fired what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters during a fifth day of mass student demonstrations calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down.

In Portugal, tens of thousands took to the streets of Lisbon following days of unrest to protest against housing and other living costs. Housing prices in Portugal have doubled since 2017, fueling one of the worst affordability crises in Europe.

In Italy, a march against high costs of living in Milan turned disorderly, with police clearing the central cathedral square with tear gas. Police in Bologna used water cannons to try to disperse crowds and made seven arrests after another protest turned violent, the ANSA news agency reported.

The protests in France began last month at high schools in Paris' working-class northern suburbs, where anger over teacher shortages and shabby facilities evolved into a broader movement focused on inequality, public spending, and living standards.

In Paris on Saturday, protesters in high-visibility vests blocked streets, recalling the Yellow Vest movement that marked Macron's previous term in office.

Saturday's protests eclipsed the size of the crowds at the peak of the Yellow Vest movement, though they were far lower than the levels seen at the protests in 2023 against Macron's pension overhaul.

Macron is entering the final stretch of his presidency, facing a fragmented political landscape and growing pressure over the economy.

France's efforts to reduce public debt have not reassured investors, pushing government borrowing costs to their highest levels in over two decades.

Police tactics criticized after demonstrators injured

Police tactics have drawn criticism following injuries among demonstrators, including a teenager who lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade. The police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence.

Lecornu said more than 150 police officers had been injured in Saturday's protests, but did not say whether any protesters had been hurt.

Nunez confirmed reports that one person had his hand torn off in clashes with police on Saturday. French media reported he tried to pick up a stun grenade.

The UNSA police union posted a video on X showing crowds attacking police vans with clubs and bricks in multiple locations. The union warned the government police forces were at breaking point.

"Today again, in every corner of France, our colleagues are being used as punching bags. Pelted with stones, injured, trapped in real ambushes," the union said. "Let everyone take responsibility: this cannot go on indefinitely. The rope is stretched to its maximum."