French day of protests ends with 1,314 arrests
The demonstrations drew fewer people than last week, but fresh clashes again led to hundreds of arrests.
Follow-up to: French protests lead to hundreds of arrests Sunday, 18 October 2026, 05:40
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A total of 1,314 people were detained during demonstrations in France on Saturday, the French Interior Ministry reports. According to the authorities, 410,000 people took to the streets in total to demand higher education spending and support in response to the rising cost of living.
The arrests took place during 289 actions across the country. According to the ministry, 53 police and gendarmerie officers were injured and 75 fire-related incidents were recorded. The ministry describes the figures as provisional and says the overview will be supplemented later.
According to the ministry, clashes broke out in Paris between police and some demonstrators at the end of the march. The ministry also reports tensions in other cities and the use of tear gas and water cannon, among other measures. The large marches largely followed pre-agreed routes, according to the ministry.
According to the ministry, the number of participants was lower than a week earlier. At the time, the ministry counted 550,000 demonstrators and 441 actions. The ministry also writes that 24 shops were looted on Saturday, compared with 1,522 shops reportedly affected a week earlier according to government records.
According to the AP news agency, the protests began with school pupils and students demanding more money for education and additional teachers. Later, workers and trade unions joined in with demands concerning purchasing power, energy prices and rents, the agency reports. According to AP, French inflation stood at 3.1 per cent in September and energy prices were 21.3 per cent higher than a year earlier. Those figures come from the French statistics office INSEE.
The government had announced additional security measures in advance following the disturbances of the previous week. The ministry says that banned or amended routes and a large police presence largely prevented further looting. Trade unions and some local officials, however, argue that restrictions on demonstrations put the right to protest under pressure.
The new arrests make the protest movement a lasting political challenge for President Emmanuel Macron, who is in the final phase of his presidency. The provisional overview of the day of protests does not yet provide a definitive picture of the movement’s scale.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- On 24 October, there were 289 actions with 410,000 participants, according to the French government.
- The provisional official overview reports 1,314 arrests, 53 injured law-enforcement officers and 24 looted shops.
- The protests concern, among other things, education funding, purchasing power and rising energy prices.
Left
Arguments The protests show that social problems cannot be solved through law enforcement alone. The government should invest more in education, public services and income security, and be more restrained in imposing restrictions on demonstrations.
Values Social equality, public services, workers’ rights and the right to protest.
Consequences Without political concessions, the movement could grow and become more radical; heavy-handed policing could further damage trust in the authorities.
Centre
Arguments The authorities must both protect the right to demonstrate and prevent violence, looting and danger to bystanders. This requires clear routes and proportionate enforcement, alongside a concrete dialogue on education and purchasing power.
Values The rule of law, proportionality, governmental responsibility and social stability.
Consequences A combination of limited security measures and targeted policy adjustments could reduce escalation, but would require time and demonstrable results.
Right
Arguments The state must first restore public order and protect people who are not taking part in the riots. Anyone using violence or looting shops should be prosecuted swiftly; structural reforms must not be imposed through pressure from the streets.
Values Security, property rights, enforcement and responsibility for one’s own conduct.
Consequences A weak response could provoke further unrest, while a consistent approach could limit the risk of repetition and economic damage.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures for the day of protests come from the official French overview and are broadly confirmed by AP. Interpretations of the political significance are presented as analysis, not as established fact.
- confirmed 1,314 people were detained during the protests of 24 October. — Mentioned in the provisional overview by the French Interior Ministry. source
- confirmed There were 289 actions and 410,000 demonstrators. — Official French overview; AP also mentions more than 400,000 demonstrators. source
- confirmed Fifty-three members of the police and gendarmerie were injured. — Mentioned in the official provisional overview. source
- confirmed French inflation was 3.1 per cent in September and energy prices were 21.3 per cent higher than a year earlier. — AP cites INSEE as the source of these figures. source
- confirmed The protests constitute a political challenge for Macron. — This is a journalistic interpretation also described by AP; it is not presented as a measurable outcome. source
Editor's note
The figures for arrests, demonstrators and damage come from French authorities and are broadly confirmed by AP. Government, trade union and organiser tallies may differ; the figures are provisional.Sources
- Bilan de la journée de mobilisation nationale du 24 octobre 2026 — Frans ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken
- Police and protesters clash in Paris as an estimated 410,000 demonstrate across France — Associated Press
The story so far
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 07:03 France prepares for nationwide day of protest
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 12:55 Police report forty arrests during protest day in Paris
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 15:57 French day of protest leads to clashes with police
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 17:21 Marseille mayor announces police reinforcements after city hall stormed
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 20:54 Lecornu defends police after violence during French day of protest
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 21:55 Town hall set alight during French protests
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 22:54 Protests in France and Italy escalate with fires and looting
- Saturday, 17 October 2026, 22:56 Campanile of Limoges town hall collapses after fire
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 05:40 French protests lead to hundreds of arrests
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 13:03 French day of protests ends with around 1,800 arrests
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 16:21 Macron holds crisis talks after violent protests
- Sunday, 25 October 2026, 12:14 French day of protests ends with 1,314 arrests (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „frankrijk protesten”
- AD — „frankrijk protesten”
- de Volkskrant — „frankrijk protesten”