France saw another weekend of violent street clashes as protesters and police confronted one another in cities including Paris, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille, Nice, Pau, Marseille, Dijon, Lyon and Bordeaux, despite the government deploying roughly 70,000 security personnel in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend’s unrest.
Paris police reported approximately 110,000 demonstrators in the capital, with 65 arrests made in the city. Nationwide, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police had arrested 135 people by early Saturday afternoon, including suspects allegedly carrying fireworks and ball bearings.
“We have to be ultra, ultra responsive,” Nuñez said.
According to Reuters, the protests were organized around grievances over the rising cost of living, deteriorating public services and frustration with President Emmanuel Macron’s government. Hundreds of videos circulating online have shown clashes and looting involving a range of participants, complicating public narratives about who is driving the unrest in different cities.
Police used tear gas against crowds in Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille and Nice, and deployed a water cannon in Nice after demonstrators refused to disperse. In Pau, security forces used grenades to break up gatherings. In Marseille, Dijon and Lyon, hooded demonstrators clashed with police; authorities said nearly 10,000 people marched through Lyon despite restrictions on public gatherings, prompting police to bring in armored vehicles and additional riot units. Gendarmerie units in Dijon reported being targeted with mortar-style fireworks, pyrotechnics capable of reaching temperatures up to 1,000°C when fired horizontally at officers.
In Bordeaux, masked protesters were filmed building barricades from materials stripped from damaged buildings, and local authorities reported projectiles thrown at police.
A Larger Security Operation
Saturday’s deployment involved roughly 10,000 more officers than the October 17 demonstrations, when protesters damaged shops, burned vehicles and attacked public buildings. In Paris, businesses boarded up their windows, more than 20 metro stations were closed, and soldiers patrolled the Champs-Élysées. The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and Paris Opera all closed their doors for the day.
The crackdown follows Macron’s push to restrict unauthorized demonstrations after last weekend’s violence. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who took part in Saturday’s Paris rally, said he expects the unrest to continue unless the government addresses the country’s economic grievances.
“Given the current situation, I think he will come to understand that this will happen again every week,” Mélenchon told reporters.
Backdrop of a Deadly Attack and an NFL Game
The unrest comes as France is also processing Friday’s deadly shooting near Paris, which Macron described as a “racist” terrorist attack. One person was killed and several others were wounded, including a 12-year-old girl.
The disorder also coincides with the NFL’s first regular-season game in France. The Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to play the New Orleans Saints Sunday at Stade de France, with kickoff set for 9:30 a.m. Eastern. The Steelers had already canceled a planned fan event in Paris over security concerns, and the NFL has announced heightened security measures for the game, while the U.S. State Department has urged American visitors to stay alert. French authorities separately postponed Sunday’s Paris Saint-Germain match against Lyon until Monday because of the security situation. The NFL game itself remains scheduled to proceed as planned.
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