Clashes, Water Cannons, And A Storming Of City Hall: Nationwide Protests Are Taking Place In France
- 17.10.2026, 22:13
One of the demonstrators shouted, “We’re storming the Bastille.”
On Saturday, clashes broke out between protesters and police in Paris and other cities across France during nationwide protests against high prices amid the upcoming presidential election.
This was reported by the AFP news agency.
In particular, protesters stormed City Hall in Marseille, France’s second-largest city. One of the demonstrators shouted, “We’re storming the Bastille,” as masked protesters rammed through the city hall doors using protective barriers.
Several of them then made their way inside, and one of them spray-painted the anarchist symbol “A” on an interior wall, after which police intervened to disperse them.
In Paris, police used water cannons and tear gas after hundreds of protesters—most of whom were masked, and some of whom were setting off fireworks—clashed with them in several locations.
Windows were smashed at the offices of the French television and radio companies CNews and Europe 1 in western Paris as protesters threw various objects at them.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered for a march through Paris, blocking major roads and forcing authorities to close many metro stations in the city center.
These protests are increasing pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and his government following several weeks of student demonstrations, some of which turned violent. There is widespread public criticism of what is considered a disproportionate police response.
According to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior to the news agency, on Saturday, shortly after noon, more than 32,000 protesters took part in about 140 demonstrations across the country outside of Paris. According to the source, police detained more than 160 people nationwide.
The “Yellow Vests,” which eight years ago organized street protests against the Macron government over planned fuel tax hikes, called for demonstrations under the slogan “Yellow Vests and Youth.” It called on teachers and students, workers, retirees, and farmers to take part in the protests on the first day of summer break.
In the western city of Rennes, about 20 people erected a barricade made of trash cans and large pallets on the outskirts of a shopping center.
On Friday evening, Macron called for “calm and respect,” adding that the right to protest goes hand in hand with “respect for people and property.”
Protests by civil servants, union activists, and students have been ongoing in France for over a month. Workers are taking to the streets demanding higher wages, while students are calling for better educational conditions. The protests by high school students have been the largest: nearly 7,000 arrests have been recorded since mid-September.
In addition, employees of the French energy company TotalEnergies went on strike on Thursday, blocking fuel shipments at oil refineries in several departments across France.