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About 800,000 protest across France; police report clashes and hundreds of arrests

France 24 says about 800,000 people joined mostly peaceful protests across France on Saturday, while Deutsche Welle reports clashes with police and hundreds of arrests.

Posted Updated (15 d ago)

About 800,000 people took part in nationwide protests in France on Saturday, October 17, France 24 reported on Sunday. It described the demonstrations as largely peaceful. Participants included students, railway workers and members of the Yellow Vest movement.

Deutsche Welle gave a different picture. It reported unrest in parts of the country, chaotic scenes in cities, and hundreds of arrests by police. It said police and protesters clashed in Paris and Marseille. Earlier, DW said authorities feared the rallies could turn violent.

The protests began in mid-September as high-school student actions over educational inequality and poor school facilities, according to France 24 and Al Jazeera. France 24 says students blockaded schools for more than three weeks. The movement has since widened to cover the cost of living, public spending and climate inaction, France 24 says. DW and Al Jazeera describe the protesters' targets as high prices and inequality.

France 24 analyst Shirli Sitbon said the main grievance was the cost of living, and that the protesters on that issue 'didn't get what they wanted'.

Pre-event estimates were far lower. France 24 variously said hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands, and finally 190,000 people could take part.

Reported by

  1. France 24France braces for massive protests: Yellow Vests to join students on SaturdayFri, Oct 16, 11:38 AM EDT
  2. France 24'Finish what we started': After student protests, France braces for return of the Yellow VestsFri, Oct 16, 4:10 PM EDT
  3. France 24Live: France's Yellow Vests throw their weight behind mounting student protestsSat, Oct 17, 1:17 AM EDT
  4. Deutsche WelleFrance braces for nationwide protestsSat, Oct 17, 4:02 AM EDT
  5. Deutsche WelleFrance: Police and protesters clash in nationwide protestsSat, Oct 17, 4:02 AM EDT
  6. Deutsche WelleFrance: Protesters clash with police in nationwide protests, amid rising social polarizationSat, Oct 17, 4:02 AM EDT
  7. France 24Students, trade unions and Yellow Vests set to protest across FranceSat, Oct 17, 5:11 AM EDT
  8. Al JazeeraNationwide protests spread across France as ‘yellow vests’ set to joinSat, Oct 17, 7:21 AM EDT
  9. Al JazeeraFrance tackles new wave of nationwide protestsSat, Oct 17, 8:18 AM EDT
  10. France 24France: Students, unions and Yellow Vests unite against austeritySat, Oct 17, 10:45 AM EDT
  11. France 24Protests in France: "Living conditions are too harsh"Sat, Oct 17, 11:10 AM EDT
  12. France 24France: Who took part in Saturday's protests?Sun, Oct 18, 5:03 AM EDT
  13. France 24France: Protests "brought the entire population together for a common purpose"Sun, Oct 18, 5:05 AM EDT
  14. Al JazeeraWhy have France’s school protests become a wider political crisis?Sun, Oct 18, 9:48 AM EDT

This story was written by AI using only the reports listed above, and published without a person reviewing it first. It is rewritten as new reports arrive. Read the original reporting for full detail. Spot an error? Tell us.

Earlier versions (3)
  1. Sat, Oct 17, 11:15 AM EDT, 3 outlets: Police and protesters clash in Paris and Marseille at nationwide protests
  2. Sat, Oct 17, 7:30 AM EDT, 3 outlets: Protests spread across France as Yellow Vests set to join students
  3. Sat, Oct 17, 4:05 AM EDT, 2 outlets: Students, unions and Yellow Vests plan nationwide protests in France