Macron Faces 400,000 Marchers in France as Youth Protests Expand

The French government counted at least 400,000 participants in nationwide marches on Saturday, a figure trade unions disputed by claiming the actual number was double. President Emmanuel Macron now faces a widening social crisis in the final months of his term, driven by a student movement that began in mid-September over staff shortages and crumbling school infrastructure.

In Paris, officials estimated that at least 110,000 people marched along the eastern edge of the capital. The atmosphere remained relaxed for much of the afternoon, with brass bands performing and families walking together. However, tensions erupted near Porte de Vincennes, where a group of masked men in black threw bottles and stones at police. Officers responded with teargas, water cannons, and stun grenades, while demonstrators set a trash bin on fire.

Similar clashes occurred in other major cities. Teargas was used in Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, and Toulouse to prevent crowds from entering city centers, and fires were reported in Marseille. To control the unrest, authorities deployed more than 70,000 police officers. Many shops were boarded up, and several museums closed their doors. This heavy security presence followed a previous Saturday of violence, which saw public buildings burned, hundreds of shops looted, and at least 2,700 arrests.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported 135 arrests nationwide during Saturday's events. Police confiscated a variety of items, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, improvised weapons, a katana sword, and airsoft guns. The ministry also noted that some children and protesters had been injured by explosive police weaponry, prompting ongoing investigations.

Protesters expressed frustration with the government's approach, citing Macron's ban on non-union demonstrations deemed illegitimate and the restriction of marches to city peripheries. Nadège, a 43-year-old communications worker who was teargassed the previous weekend, stated, "I'm out again peacefully today to support everyone who is brave enough to demonstrate. It does take courage. People are afraid now." She added, "In France, it's our legal right to protest in the street and I'm here to defend that."

Jérôme Rodrigues, a figure from the 2018 and 2019 gilets jaunes movement, warned that the government was pushing demonstrators to the edges of power. He said, "Today the government is afraid; that is why they are pushing demonstrators to the edge of the city, away from places of power. It's not police shields that will provide an answer to French people struggling and unable to make ends meet." In Orléans, thousands marched against a congress hosted by Marine Le Pen's National Rally party, shouting slogans demanding Macron's resignation and Le Pen's imprisonment.

The student movement has grown to include trade unions, teachers, and parents. A 21-year-old Paris student described the political climate as increasingly authoritarian, noting that the government was trying to stop the democratic right to protest. Police investigations continue into the use of force that left some demonstrators maimed during the past month of demonstrations.