In France, scuffles and fires break out as protesters rally across cities, joining students in election-season unrest

Clashes and arrests in Paris

A car and a newspaper kiosk were set alight in Paris during demonstrations at Place de la République. Police used tear gas and water cannons against masked and hooded groups throwing fireworks and other objects, while riot police were deployed across the square and nearby streets.

The Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s office reported assaults on officers, looting or attempted looting, and damage to public buildings. Authorities said at least 272 people were arrested across France, including in Paris.

Tensions spread to other cities

In Lyon, where about 20,000 people joined a march, a fire broke out inside a tourist office. In Marseille, shops and a municipal police station were damaged, and protesters briefly entered City Hall’s lobby.

Protests unite different grievances

Many peaceful demonstrators in Paris marched toward the city’s northwest, chanting the national anthem as French flags waved and people played trumpets and violins. Police also sought to stop smaller groups from reaching government buildings, and several metro stations were closed at police request.

Protesters answered social media calls to revive the “yellow vest” movement, which began in 2018 over social injustice. Student groups, whose school blockades began in mid-September, urged supporters to join; the CGT union backed calls for higher wages and pensions, lower prices and protected public services.

Student protests draw wider attention

The demonstrations came amid rising gasoline, energy and food prices and widespread frustration with the government. France has seen thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries and schools set on fire during the school protests.

Some teenagers suffered serious wounds that protesters blamed on police riot-control weapons. Nuñez suspended use of a type of stun grenade after a 15-year-old lost a hand.