France Protests: Turnout Estimates Diverge Amid Third Weekend of Clashes

Authorities counted 320,000 protesters nationwide on Saturday, while organizers from youth groups and student unions claimed nearly half a million people joined the marches. The gap in the numbers reflects the tension surrounding the third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over living costs and the state of French schools.

The government reported 70,000 people in Paris, where the coalition's figures reached 200,000. Police fired tear gas in Paris and Lyon as crowds moved toward the planned endpoint of the capital's march. Bins and street furniture were burned, and smoke rose over the city as riot police warned over loudspeakers that they would deploy more tear gas unless the street was cleared.

Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris, described the police response as heavy. "What we've been seeing .. is the police firing a lot of tear gas into this crowd," she said, adding that her team "had to move out of the way because it was simply too much for us to breathe". Medics carried off injured people, while some protesters raised their hands to signal they posed no threat. On the outskirts of Paris, dozens of masked people in black used hammers to lift paving stones and throw them at police, the AFP news agency reported. At least one incendiary device was thrown at security forces, who answered with tear gas and baton charges.

France's Ministry of Interior reported at least 290 arrests nationwide. About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed across the country, and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had warned of a "very high risk" of disorder, particularly after dark on Halloween. The main Paris march was shifted to the city's eastern edge after a last-minute court battle, and unaccompanied minors faced a 9pm curfew around the Champs-Elysees.

The government says it has responded to the concerns raised. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu met with student unions during the week and is reviewing measures to lower living costs. Butler said most protesters she spoke with condemned the violence but placed the blame on the government for not listening. "You really get a sense with people who have come into the street again and again over the past few weeks that they simply don't believe the government any more. That trust has gone," she said.

The movement began last month when high school students protested neglected buildings, teacher shortages, and a university admissions system they described as unfair to disadvantaged students. Labour unions later joined. On October 17, government estimates put turnout above 500,000, and the marches turned into some of France's worst rioting in years, with shops in Paris looted.

Protests have spread beyond France. On Saturday in Cologne, Germany, police used water cannon to break up crowds demonstrating against rising costs, education cuts, and plans for military conscription. Organizers said 170,000 people registered for demonstrations across more than 30 cities. In Barcelona, Spain, regional police prepared their highest alert level after rioting on October 24 led to about 130 arrests, mostly of minors. Italian police were also on alert after clashes in Milan, Turin, and Bologna.

The Ministry of Interior reported at least 290 arrests nationwide following Saturday's marches.