France records 1,800 arrests as cost‑of‑living protests turn violent

Mass arrests and injuries reported amid France’s cost‑of‑living unrest

French police arrested at least 1,800 people on Sunday during nationwide protests over rising living costs and poor school conditions, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.

The Interior Ministry said more than 850 of those arrests occurred in the capital region after an estimated 550,000 participants took to the streets, while protest organizers claimed about 800,000 were involved.

More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured in the clashes, the minister added.

Saturday’s demonstrations were reportedly called by the Yellow Vest movement to protest high inflation and the cost of living, and followed weeks of student protests over school conditions and teacher shortages.

Violent incidents included looting and the burning of the 19th‑century town hall in Limoges, which prefect Maurice Barate said was set by “a wild horde.”

In Paris, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Nice and Marseille, shops were attacked and tourists were observed running with suitcases through streets filled with tear gas.

President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Oct 18, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will chair an inter‑ministerial meeting on Oct 19 to discuss a way forward.

High‑school students continue to demand concrete educational reforms, as highlighted in the president’s address.