PARIS (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of mostly young protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, October 31, in a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education, as youth-led rallies were also reported in Germany and Italy.
France's government estimated that 320,000 people protested nationwide on Saturday — fewer than in the previous rounds, after mass protests on October 17 that deteriorated into some of France's worst rioting in years drew more than 500,000 people, and demonstrations on October 24 drew 410,000, according to government estimates. Organisers' turnout estimates are much higher. Of Saturday's total, the Interior Ministry said about 70,000 people turned out for the main protest in Paris.
About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed across the country. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of a "very high risk" of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween. Paris marches were rerouted to the capital's eastern edge, away from the city centre, after a last-minute court battle, to reduce the risk of unrest around government buildings and tourist sites.
At Porte de Bagnolet, thousands gathered behind a line of students who led the march hand in hand, with security agents from the CGT, one of France's largest labour unions, keeping watch at the front. For much of the day the Paris march was largely peaceful, but as it neared its end at Porte de Charenton, some protesters pried up paving stones and hurled them at officers and at least one incendiary device was thrown, and police answered with tear gas, according to reports from Paris. Clashes were also reported in Marseille and Toulouse, and around 300 arrests were reported nationwide.
The rallies started last month as a movement of high school students protesting neglected buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system seen as unfair to disadvantaged students. Labour unions, Yellow Vests campaigners, climate activists and others angry at President Emmanuel Macron over the cost of living have since joined with a variety of demands. High school and university students have called a further day of action on Tuesday, November 3, unions have called a nationwide strike for Thursday, November 5, and a fourth round of weekend protests is planned for Saturday, November 7.
Corentin Cabreux, a 21-year-old student, told the AP he lives in a state-run student residence where "there are damp stains all along the bottom of my walls, whole sections peeling off, cockroaches everywhere, rats." He said he hoped Saturday's protest would be festive in honour of Halloween, to counter the image of violence that has attached itself to France's protests. Some marchers wore Halloween costumes, including a zombie Michael Jackson, a pirate and a Spider-Man.
Police barred people from entering Place de la République and Les Halles from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and unaccompanied minors faced a separate 9 p.m. curfew around the Champs-Élysées. A Paris court on Wednesday suspended an earlier curfew on minors as a serious and illegal infringement of freedom of movement.
In Germany, a youth initiative called "Gen Z regelt" — roughly "Gen Z's got this" — rallied in many cities for education, health, climate protection and an affordable life, and against any return of military conscription. Organisers said more than 180,000 people had signed up online, but as of Saturday afternoon only several thousand marched in various cities. Young protesters gathered at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate demanding more investment in education and housing, and an additional 1,500 police officers were deployed in the German capital.
"We call for more money to be invested in social services and education, as well as in climate protection — in short, in our future — because we are the ones who will be affected by this the longest," said Berlin high school student Lara Breitenbach. Another student, Janelle Schulz, said the ceiling at her school is collapsing from water damage, teacher shortages persist and toilets are broken.
In The Hague in the Netherlands, shops boarded up as a precaution and police were out in force after online appeals for protests, but there was little sign of protests and no major disturbances by mid-afternoon. In Barcelona, Spain, regional police planned their highest-level alert after rioting there on October 24 led to about 130 arrests, and Italian police were on alert after clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna, with calls to protest circulating on social media in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal.