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410,000 demonstrate across France as Paris march turns tense

Published 24 October 2026

Demonstrations over education funding and living costs drew an estimated 410,000 people across France on Saturday, while police reported clashes and used tear gas and water cannons near the end of the Paris march. Authorities deployed up to 70,000 officers and other security personnel nationwide amid concerns about a repeat of violence during protests the previous weekend. The Interior Ministry put turnout at 410,000 nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris, according to official estimates. The Paris march began peacefully and followed a route along the capital’s southeastern edge, after authorities moved it away from central neighborhoods. Near its authorized endpoint at Porte de Vincennes, some protesters threw projectiles, and police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse people, according to on-scene reporting. Another account said the main march reached its destination without incident; accounts of the Paris march’s conclusion therefore differ. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 135 people had been arrested nationwide during the demonstrations. Reports attached that figure to different times during the day, including before 1 p.m. and by midday, so it is not a...

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