Summary

  • More than 160 people have been arrested across France, with tens of thousands expected at protests against rising fuel prices and the cost of living

  • The French interior ministry condemns what it calls "targeted acts of violence" and accuses some protesters of attempts at looting and attacks on police

  • A major demonstration is under way in Paris - you can watch live above

  • Protesters are hyped up and we're hearing constant chants calling for President Macron to resign, writes our correspondent in Paris

  • Today's demonstrations come after three weeks of student protests across the country, with calls for students to be joined by workers' unions and key figures from the so-called "yellow vest" movement

  • French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed for "calm", calling on demonstrators to show "respect for people and property"

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Live Reporting

Edited by Kieran Kelly and Craig Hoyle, with James Waterhouse and Adina Campbell in Paris

  1. Main protest in Paris after morning of clashes - watch live

    Thousands of protesters are shown in a square in Paris holding placards.Reuters

    It's now 14:00 in France (13:00 BST), and the main demonstration in Paris is getting under way.

    Police and organisers disagreed on the planned route in the lead-up.

    France's biggest union, the CGT, said yesterday that protesters would set off from the Place de la République.

    So far this morning, there have been clashes at that location with tear gas deployed.

    Hundreds of protesters have also gathered in other parts of the city, such as Gare du Nord.

  2. Paris police: 'We do not back down'

    French riot police react through tear gas as they face off with masked protesters at the Place de la RépubliqueReuters

    In an update on X, Paris police say: "We do not back down in the face of rioters and those who come to attack the law enforcement forces."

    They accuse "hostile individuals" of targeting police, adding that officers are facing them "with courage and professionalism".

    A video shared alongside the post shows protesters throwing rocks while police in riot gear charge.

    What appears to be tear gas is also seen rising from the ground.

    A major demonstration is scheduled to get under way in Paris in around 10 minutes, you can watch live above.

  3. Map from protest group shows hundreds of demonstrations planned across France

    Map from yellow vests shows demonstrations across FranceYellow vests

    A map published by the "yellow vests" - one of the leading organisations involved in today's protests - shows more than 800 demonstrations are expected across France.

    Paris and Marseille have been key flashpoints so far, with police deploying tear gas.

    Pictures from Marseille show items from looted stores burning on the road, while protesters in Paris have been seen throwing flares and other projectiles.

    Masked protesters have also been pictured standing off against police officers in Strasbourg.

  4. Watch: Tear gas deployed in Strasbourg as protests intensify

    Shouts and bangs can be heard as tear gas is deployed at protests in Strasbourg.

    Sirens can be heard in the background as police in riot gear charge past.

    Tear gas has also been used in Paris and Marseille as protests across France intensify.

  5. Over 100 arrests across France amid 'targeted acts of violence' - interior ministry
    Breaking

    In an update shared with journalists, the French Ministry of the Interior says 140 separate actions involving almost 33,000 people have been recorded across France today.

    It adds that 166 arrests have been made so far across the country.

    "The movement is marked by a very strong mobilisation of far-left elements, whose sole intent is to incite disorder," the ministry says.

    Demonstrations have involved "targeted acts of violence" from "hooded individuals" in areas like Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers, it adds.

    It accuses some protesters of attempts at looting, attacks on police, starting fires and targeting government institutions, as well as damaging a police station in Marseille.

    Security forces have responded "swiftly and decisively", it says, adding: "There is a very high probability that far-left elements will attempt to escalate the situation during this afternoon’s marches."

  6. Paris police share photo of confiscated items

    Earlier, we reported that Paris police had already made 40 arrests in the first few hours of the morning, "primarily for carrying weapons or prohibited protective gear".

    We can now bring you a photo they shared alongside this update, which appears to show confiscated items.

    Image showing weapons or prohibited protective gear confiscated by police in Paris as widespread protests beginPréfecture de Police

  7. Hundreds of protesters at Gare du Nord, as students say they're tired of Macron

    James Waterhouse
    Reporting from Paris

    Protesters outside Gare du NordJames Waterhouse

    Several hundred protesters have arrived at the Gare du Nord station.

    Most are students who say they’re tired of a decade of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency.

    There are pockets of demonstrations throughout the city, with groups building blockades where they can.

    For now, police seem to be observing from afar, but as the past few weeks have shown, that can soon change.

  8. Police deploy tear gas again in Paris

    Adina Campbell
    Reporting from Paris

    A protester wearing what appears to be a gas mask stands next to tear gas as he protests around dozens more people at the Place de la Republique in Paris.Reuters

    You can hear the thuds of tear gas being fired at the Place de la République, but it’s not doing much to deter the protesters.

    They are booing back at police officers and waving the tear gas away.

  9. Watch: Protesters throw flare at police in Paris

  10. 'This violence must stop' - what France's politicians have been saying

    Emmanuel Macron gestures as he speaks during a press conference at a European Union leaders' summit in BrusselsReuters

    French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed for "calm" ahead of today's protests, saying he believes in the right to protest but calling on demonstrators to show "respect for people and property".

    Earlier this week, his spokeswoman said Macron had concerns that "legitimate" concerns were being "exploited" by political forces.

    France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu suggested this week that student anger was being manipulated by France's left-wing La France Insoumise party.

    "Members of [Mélenchon's] France Insoumise are instrumentalising the high school movement for their electoral advantage," Lecornu said on Wednesday, accusing them of encouraging protests.

    Following a visit to a vandalised school on Thursday, Education Minister Édouard Geffray appealed to protesters that "violence must stop" and that "only dialogue" will resolve the matter.

    Jordan Bardella, the president of France's hard-right National Rally, said he was "worried" ahead of the protests, according to comments cited in French media, saying it was an "opportunity for the chaotic France to rally behind Jean-Luc Mélenchon", the leader of La France Insoumise.

    We are yet to hear from Mélenchon himself, who has been a prominent older face among the students at rallies over the past few weeks. His party has shared details of today's demonstrations on social media.

  11. Police also deploy tear gas on protesters in Marseille

    We're now seeing images from Marseille, France's second-largest city, where protesters are clashing with police.

    Photos show what appears to be tear gas and smoke in the area, with some protesters dressed in dark clothes and face coverings.

    A pedestrian walks past a fire during clashes prior to the start of a demonstration to protest against the "high cost of living", in Marseille, southern France.Getty Images
    A protester waves a hand in front of them. They wear black and an N95-style face mask.Getty Images
    Protesters fill the streets in central Marseille, wearing dark clothes and face coverings.Getty Images
    Protesters dodge what appear to be smoke bombs or tear gas in a central square.Getty Images

  12. Police fire tear gas as protesters climb Paris monument

    Adina Campbell
    Reporting from Paris

    Police have fired tear gas to try to stop more people climbing the 25m (82ft) statue here at the Place de la République.

    Protesters are hyped up and we’re hearing constant chants calling for President Macron to resign, and anti-far-right screams too.

    Protesters stand on the statue at the Place de la RépubliqueReuters

  13. Why have students in France been protesting?

    Clashes between protesters and police erupted during a demonstration of high-school students in front of the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, on October 13, 2026,Getty Images

    Protesters clash with police in Paris earlier this week

    Student protests in France have seen hundreds of thousands take to the streets since they began late last month.

    Protesters have been demanding additional investment in their schools, criticising the lack of teachers and staff, overcrowded classrooms and run-down buildings.

    Students have barricaded entry to schools across the country, forcing hundreds to close, with the protesters showing no signs of backing down from their demands.

    Hundreds of new demonstrations have been planned across France today, with tens of thousands of protesters, including students, teachers and pensioners, expected to turn out.

    One of the leading organisations behind the protests, secondary school student union the Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL), has stated the protests are necessary to force action.

    Earlier this week, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu complained that protests no longer resembled a student movement but a "movement of urban violence".

  14. In pictures: Stand-off between police and protesters in Paris

    Pictures show clashes between police and protesters in Paris this morning.

    A police source told French news agency AFP that authorities estimated nearly 40,000 could take part in cost-of-living demonstrations in Paris, with 200,000 potentially taking part across France as a whole.

    Masked protesters form a human chain as they face off with French riot police in ParisReuters

    Masked protesters face off with French riot police

    French riot police stand in position amid clashes with protesters during a demonstration in a street near the Gare du Nord train station in ParisReuters

    Riot police walk with paint-splattered shields near Gare du Nord

    Protesters hold the French flag and the Palestinian flag as they stand on a statue at the Place de la République in Paris.Reuters

    Protesters at the Place de la République holding French and Palestinian flags

  15. Paris police say 40 arrests already made

    Police in Paris say they had already made 40 arrests by 09:30 local time (08:30 BST).

    These were "primarily for carrying weapons or prohibited protective gear", they say in an update on X.

    Tens of thousands are expected to turn out onto the streets of Paris in protest today, with widespread demonstrations also taking place across the rest of the country.

    Police say "enhanced checks" are being carried out "to prevent risks and ensure everyone's safety".

  16. Boos and chants from young protesters at Place de la République

    Adina Campbell
    Reporting from Paris

    We’ve already heard boos and chanting by some of the young protesters here.

    Large-scale security measures are visible at the Place de la République.

    Roads have been cordoned off, some metro stations are shut and there is a high police presence.

    Officers in riot gear are in a ring holding shields, surrounding the hundreds of students who are gathering in this square.

  17. Clashes across France as protesters take to streets with 'convergence of demands'

    Katie Williams
    Live reporter

    Masked protesters raise their arms as they face off with French riot police during a demonstration near the Gare du Nord train station in ParisReuters

    Protesters face off with police near Gare du Nord in Paris

    Dozens have been arrested in Paris this morning as police and protesters clash in widespread demonstrations across France.

    Footage already shows flares being thrown in the capital, while images from Marseille appear to show tear gas being deployed.

    Tens of thousands are expected to take to the streets as trade unions, students and "yellow vests" come together to protest rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools.

    "It's a convergence of demands and social classes," one high-school student told Reuters yesterday.

    The yellow vests - one of today's key organising movements - previously demonstrated against cost-of-living hikes for over a year in 2018.

    Their website shows hundreds of planned demonstrations across the country today and calls for support from farmers, workers, climate marchers and retirees.

    These latest demonstrations follow weeks of student protests across France over classroom conditions. Clashes between police and demonstrators have at times turned violent, with one 15-year-old boy's hand being blown off earlier this month.

    Stay with us as we bring you the latest news and analysis.