Mass protests challenge Macron as French police use tear gas and water cannons

Tear gas is a chemical irritant that causes intense eye watering, coughing and breathing discomfort. Water cannons are armored vehicles that spray powerful streams of water. Both are crowd-control tools. Police use them to create distance, break up violent confrontations or move people away from restricted areas.

In Paris, the main demonstration was largely peaceful until its end near Porte de Vincennes. Some protesters threw bottles and rocks at officers. Police charged, fired tear gas and used water cannons. The clashes lasted about an hour. NBC News witnessed no looting. Police also used tear gas in Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Strasbourg and Marseille, and water cannons in Nice and Nantes.

The actions show how authorities tried to contain unrest while allowing a large protest to proceed. The government had restricted the Paris route and deployed heavy resources nationwide. The use of force may prevent immediate disorder, but it also deepened protesters’ complaints that restrictions were being used to silence them.

The protests were large enough to challenge President Emmanuel Macron’s government directly. Paris police estimated that 110,000 people marched on Saturday. The crowd included students, union members, environmentalists and other groups. Cold rain did not stop them from taking part.

The demonstrations extended well beyond the capital. Police reported 17,000 participants in Marseille, while the CGT union estimated 100,000 there. Authorities counted 26,500 people in Toulouse. Police used tear gas during clashes in Marseille and other cities, while rallies were banned in Lyon, Nice and Montpellier. Thousands also marched in Orléans against the far right.

This spread matters because the movement began with a local school dispute southeast of Paris. It grew into a national campaign about schools, wages, pensions and living standards. The broad geography increases pressure on Macron, whose popularity was at its lowest since he took office in 2017.

The protests joined several kinds of frustration. Students wanted better schools and more staff. Workers sought higher wages and pensions. Other protesters objected to worsening living standards and the difficulty of finding secure work. Together, these concerns made the movement broader than a single education dispute.

The starting point was a protest last month over staff shortages at one high school southeast of Paris. Camille Chesnier, who has engineering and master’s degrees, said she could not find work. She described many people living on the streets and in squats. High school representatives also said Macron promised to overhaul university admissions, but they wanted concrete measures.

Economic pressure gave the movement wider force. INSEE reported that French energy prices rose 21.3% in September from a year earlier, while overall inflation reached 3.1%. Students said protests should continue until action was announced. The government therefore faced demands spanning education, employment, retirement security and household costs.

The government restricted or banned some protests to reduce the risk of clashes and property damage. In Paris, police moved the route away from the center and cleared Place de la Bastille. Authorities also banned rallies in Lyon, Nice and Montpellier. Police said people leaving Bastille could face a 135-euro fine. Trade unions called the bans violations of freedom of expression.

The security response followed earlier unrest and fears that violence could spread. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced up to 70,000 officers nationwide. They were supported by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons. In Paris, police blocked protesters who tried to continue from Porte de Vincennes toward Place de la Nation.

The restrictions helped authorities control where crowds gathered, but they also became part of the political dispute. Protesters said the government was using the previous week’s events as an excuse to quiet them. The approach tested whether Macron could preserve public order without further strengthening opposition to his government.

The clashes produced arrests and a stronger political crisis. Near Porte de Vincennes, some protesters threw bottles and rocks, prompting police charges, tear gas and water cannons. The Paris prosecutor’s office reported 64 arrests and 40 people placed in police custody, including six minors. Most arrests involved suspected weapons offenses or alleged participation in a group preparing violence or property damage.

The article records no looting witnessed by NBC News. It also does not report damaged shops or closed museums, so those consequences cannot be established from the provided text. Clashes lasted about an hour in Paris, and police used tear gas in several other cities. Authorities had also imposed route restrictions and rally bans.

Politically, the unrest tested Macron during the final months before voters choose his successor in May. His popularity was at its lowest since 2017. The far-right National Rally accused his government of failing to protect the public and urged voters to support it.

Groups can nationalize a local dispute by linking one immediate problem to wider shared grievances. Students can frame staffing shortages as evidence of failing schools. Trade unions can connect education concerns with wages, pensions and working conditions. Environmentalists and other groups can add their own demands. Shared marches and national coordination then give a local complaint broader visibility.

Here, the movement began with staff shortages at one high school southeast of Paris. Students continued demanding better conditions, while workers marched for higher wages and pensions. Trade unions led the Paris procession. Demonstrators also protested rising living costs, with energy prices 21.3% higher in September than a year earlier.

Opposition parties can amplify the political effect by offering a competing explanation and solution. The far-right National Rally accused Macron’s government of failing to protect the public and urged people to vote for it. Macron met high school representatives, but they said protests should continue until concrete measures appeared.

Inflation means that prices across an economy rise over time, reducing the purchasing power of money. Households then need more income to buy the same goods and services. Inflation can be especially painful when it affects essentials such as energy. Families cannot easily avoid heating, electricity or transport costs, so rising bills quickly squeeze other spending.

The article gives a clear example. French energy prices were 21.3% higher in September than a year earlier. Overall inflation reached 3.1%, according to INSEE. Households facing those increases may have less money for food, rent or other needs. Workers may respond by demanding higher wages and pensions, which were central protest demands.

Governments face pressure to protect living standards while managing public finances and public anger. In France, rising costs helped connect a school protest with a national movement. If prices remain high and concrete measures do not appear, the article indicates that protests could continue and put further pressure on Macron.