{"id":11194,"date":"2026-10-24T22:57:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T22:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=11194"},"modified":"2026-10-24T22:57:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T22:57:01","slug":"thousands-march-in-france-over-schools-and-living-costs-as-police-use-tear-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=11194","title":{"rendered":"Thousands march in France over schools and living costs as police use tear gas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>5 Minute, 14 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\"Protesters<\/picture>
\n

Protesters stand amid tear gas at Place de la Bourse, in a protest ban zone, as part of a demonstration in favor of purchasing power, the protection of public services, and fiscal and social justice, in Bordeaux, western France, Oct. 24. AFP-Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PARIS \u2014 Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in Paris and other French cities Saturday over school funding and soaring living costs, putting President Emmanuel Macron under pressure to answer demands for better living standards and prevent more violence after protests last weekend degenerated into rioting and looting.<\/p>\n

Police used tear gas in Lyon, where the rally had been banned, on Saturday morning. In Clermont-Ferrand, officers used tear gas and stun grenades to push back demonstrators trying to reach the city center, French media reported.<\/p>\n

In the southwestern city of Toulouse, 26,500 people joined the protests, according to local authorities.<\/p>\n

The unrest is shaking Macron’s authority in the final months of his presidency before voters choose his successor in May. The stakes are high: the far-right National Rally has accused his government of failing to protect the public and urged people to channel their anger into votes.<\/p>\n

Authorities had confined the Paris march to the city\u2019s southeastern edge, away from the center. An Associated Press journalist saw tens of thousands of people marching from Porte d\u2019Italie early in the afternoon, but it appeared to be a smaller crowd than a week earlier. Trade unions led the procession, followed by protesters in raincoats carrying flags and handmade placards.<\/p>\n

Camille Chesnier, 27, said she had been unable to find work despite having an engineering degree and a master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are enormous numbers of people in the same situation as me but who aren\u2019t privileged and who find themselves living on the streets and in squats and, frankly, it\u2019s very tough,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

France’s interior minister said there were 35,000 demonstrators nationwide by 1 p.m., compared with 60,000 at the same time a week earlier.<\/p>\n

Up to 70,000 officers would be deployed nationwide, backed by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons, he said.<\/p>\n

Authorities sought to prevent another weekend of looting, burned cars and attacks on public buildings .<\/p>\n

\"A<\/picture>
\n

A protester throws a bottle as clashes erupt during a demonstration in favor of purchasing power, the protection of public services, and fiscal and social justice, in Toulouse, southwestern France, Oct. 24. AFP-Yonhap<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A small protest became a national movement<\/strong><\/p>\n

What began last month as a protest over staff shortages at one high school southeast of Paris has spread nationwide, drawing students demanding better schools and workers seeking higher wages and pensions.<\/p>\n

Energy prices in France were 21.3% higher in September than a year earlier, helping drive overall inflation to 3.1%, according to the national statistics agency, INSEE.<\/p>\n

Macron met high school representatives Friday. They said he had promised to overhaul university admissions, but called for protests to continue until concrete measures are announced.<\/p>\n

More than half a million people took to the streets last Saturday. Some 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Shops board up and museums close<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gendarmes stood guard beneath the Arc de Triomphe as shopkeepers boarded up storefronts across Paris. Near the Saint-Lazare train station Saturday, Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, was boarding up an optician\u2019s shop.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got the call last night,\u201d he said. \u201cThe owner seemed desperate. He said I was saving his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Major museums, including the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais \u2014 where a major C\u00e9zanne exhibit is on display \u2014 were shuttered Saturday .<\/p>\n

Art Basel, one of the world\u2019s most prestigious contemporary art fairs, opened to the public Friday, but only for the day, with the threat of unrest prompting organizers to cancel the weekend program.<\/p>\n

Some protests have been banned<\/strong><\/p>\n

Police changed the Paris route Friday. At Bastille, the original starting point, police used a megaphone to tell people to leave or face a 135-euro ($150) fine.<\/p>\n

Soumaya Abed, a 58-year-old nurse wearing a red CGT union vest, said she had been joining protests for more than 30 years but had never seen a march start at Porte d\u2019Italie.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are using what happened last week as an excuse to quiet protesters,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it won\u2019t stop the movement. It won\u2019t stop students from demanding better conditions in schools.\u201d<\/p>\n

A protest march was also scheduled in Marseille, but in cities including Nice and Montpellier, as well as Lyon, rallies were banned by the local authorities.<\/p>\n

Thousands also marched Saturday in Orl\u00e9ans, south of Paris, in a separate peaceful protest against the far right as Marine Le Pen\u2019s National Rally held a two-day congress in the city.<\/p>\n

Trade unions have criticized the bans, calling them violations of freedom of expression, which is protected by the constitution.<\/p>\n

Macron, a centrist, has entered the crisis in the final stretches of his term with his popularity at its lowest since he took office in 2017. He has said that the measures are needed to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings.<\/p>\n

Nu\u00f1ez acknowledged Monday that police had lost control in some cities during last weekend\u2019s unrest. He offered to resign, but Macron refused the offer.<\/p>\n

Students and workers are angry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Student groups want 250,000 more places in higher education and an end to selection through Parcoursup, the national admissions system.<\/p>\n

Their joint 10-point plan also calls for more teachers and repairs to schools and universities.<\/p>\n

Public middle and high schools lost 15.4 million teaching hours in the 2024-25 school year because absent teachers were not replaced, according to Education Ministry figures. That amounted to 7.5% of scheduled teaching time.<\/p>\n

They are also seeking help with everyday costs: an extra 200 euros ($224) a month in student grants and a rent freeze in public student housing.<\/p>\n

Paris protester Louis Ledoux–Xatard voiced frustration over inequality.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at countries like the United States, we don\u2019t want to end up like them, where part of the population has everything and the others have nothing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never imagined that I\u2019d be taking to the streets so much before my thirties.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n

\n
\n \n
\n \n \"Happy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Happy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sad\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sad <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Excited\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Excited <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sleepy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sleepy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Angry\"\n <\/a>\n
Angry<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Surprise\"\n <\/a>\n
Surprise<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Protesters stand amid tear gas at Place de la Bourse, in a protest ban zone, as part of a demonstration in favor of purchasing power, the protection of public services, and fiscal and social justice, in Bordeaux, western France, Oct. 24. AFP-Yonhap PARIS \u2014 Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in Paris and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-korea","category-trending-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t