Clashes and Arrests Reported During Mass Protests Across France
ISTANBUL — October 24, 2026
Around 410,000 people participated in demonstrations across France on Saturday, according to the Interior Ministry, while the CGT trade union estimated the nationwide turnout at 800,000. Several cities reported clashes between protesters and police, alongside looting, vandalism and arrests.
In Nantes, the Loire-Atlantique prefecture reported looting at shops and confirmed six arrests.
Authorities in Grenoble said approximately 400 masked individuals dressed in black bloc clothing had damaged property and attacked police using mortars and other projectiles. Officers were working to identify and detain those responsible while restoring public order. The CGT union and Yellow Vest movement organized the demonstration in the city.
In Bordeaux, officials reported that groups described as hostile had thrown objects at security forces and erected barricades at Place de la Bourse. Residents were advised to stay away from the area.
Tensions also escalated in Lille, where demonstrators threw projectiles at riot police, prompting officers to deploy water cannons. The Nord prefecture estimated that 15,000 people attended the rally and urged participants to disperse peacefully.
By 3 pm local time, authorities had recorded 30 arrests across the Nord department, including 25 in Lille. Police also confiscated several weapons, including hunting knives, butterfly knives and airsoft guns.
Restrictions on unaccompanied minors in designated areas of Lille, Denain, Douai and Wattignies were extended until Monday morning and expanded to parts of Marly and Valenciennes. The curfews operate from 8 pm to 6 am, under an order covering the period from Friday evening through Monday morning.
In Nice, the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture reported 40 arrests by 4.30 pm.
Paris saw an estimated 110,000 demonstrators, according to the police prefecture, matching the turnout recorded the previous week. Police subsequently used water cannons against protesters, while the windows of a car dealership on Cours de Vincennes were vandalized. Authorities said they had conducted more than 3,000 checks and arrested 65 people. Union estimates for attendance in Paris and Lille had not yet been released.
In Marseille, clashes between police and demonstrators prompted officers to use tear gas. Local media also reported that firefighters extinguished a fire near the march.
Police deployed tear gas in Rennes as protesters moved toward Place de la République. Meanwhile, the Rhone prefecture estimated that 10,000 people had gathered in Lyon.
Lyon authorities reported 29 arrests by 6 pm, involving alleged weapons and drug possession as well as participation in an unauthorized gathering, according to the local newspaper Le Progrès. Officials said no demonstrations had been authorized in the city.
In Chambéry, confrontations erupted between police and groups the Savoie prefecture described as violent, while demonstrators blocked the city’s urban expressway.
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