Live Updates: Hundreds of Thousands Join Another Round of Protests in France

What the report says

Hundreds of thousands of people joined protests across France on Saturday in another week of nationwide unrest centered on student-led grievances and broader anti-government anger, according to the New York Times World live coverage from Paris. The interior ministry estimated turnout at 320,000 nationwide, down from the previous two Saturdays, while police said about 70,000 marched in Paris alone. Demonstrations also drew participants in Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and Rennes.

The protests remained largely festive in parts of Paris during the day, with many demonstrators wearing Halloween costumes, but tensions rose later as police used tear gas and water cannons to clear crowds that refused to disperse. The Times reported clashes in several cities, and said officers in Paris confronted a smaller group of rioters after the rally ended. Authorities said they were especially concerned about trouble after nightfall and cited social media posts calling for people to gather in masks and costumes.

The unrest has been building for weeks, beginning with student demonstrations and then widening to include university students, public workers and some veterans of the “yellow vest” movement. French officials said they had increased security and were watching for violence, looting and arson, while also warning that concealing one’s face during a disrupted demonstration can lead to arrest.

The report also noted that students remained dissatisfied with the government’s initial concessions, even after the Education Ministry agreed to some measures on class sizes, school repairs and college admissions. The broader episode matters because it shows how a protest movement that started in schools has spread nationwide and is testing the government’s ability to maintain order while addressing public anger.