About 550,000 people demonstrated across France on Saturday, according to the Interior Ministry; most marched peacefully, but a small minority attacked buildings, looted shops and clashed with police, and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said 1,200 people were arrested and 150 officers injured. The protests began last month with high school students in Paris' northern suburbs angry over teacher shortages and poor facilities, then spread to other cities and joined trade unions, public sector strikers and “yellow vest” supporters. The anger is compounded by a proposed 2027 budget with a 54 billion euro package of cost-cutting and tax measures, including a freeze on civil servants' pay scale that unions say would be the fourth consecutive annual freeze. Experts say the crisis reflects deeper discontent with political paralysis since the 2024 elections, which left no bloc with an outright majority. President Macron said those responsible for violence would be “prosecuted and punished”, while Jean-Luc Melenchon accused the government of repressing students.
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• NeutralRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/16/2026 | 1.12393 |
| Change that session | +0.16% |
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