Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest rising living costs, marking the third consecutive weekend of nationwide unrest. While many marches proceeded peacefully, clashes erupted in Paris and several other cities, leading to widespread police interventions and hundreds of arrests.

In Paris, thousands marched in broad daylight, some wearing Halloween costumes, as the protest moved through the outskirts toward central neighborhoods. However, as the procession reached its final destination, confrontations flared between police and a faction of protesters. Several dozen individuals, mostly masked and dressed in black, were seen prying up paving stones and throwing them at law enforcement officers. Police responded with tear gas and baton charges to disperse the rioters. The Paris police prefecture reported that several hundred protesters engaged in acts of violence, launching various projectiles at security forces.

Authorities arrested 565 people across the country by late Saturday. In Paris alone, four police officers and one gendarme sustained injuries, three of which resulted from Molotov cocktail attacks. One officer was set on fire in the Molotov cocktail assault but escaped with minor injuries. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez condemned the violence, referring to the attack as an "attempted murder," and attributed much of the unrest to far-left extremist groups. He characterized the level of aggression as “extraordinary” and warned that police were prepared to confront further outbreaks of violence. To curb disturbances, a night-time curfew was imposed from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the central Paris districts of République and Châtelet-Les Halles for Saturday and Sunday nights.

The unrest was not limited to the capital. In cities including Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Marseille, police reported attempts by “radical elements” to enter city centers to engage in vandalism and looting. In Lyon, France’s third-largest city, officers deployed tear gas against individuals throwing projectiles. Meanwhile, in Toulouse, authorities used water cannon to disperse several thousand protesters participating in an unauthorized demonstration.

The protests drew support and participation from a broad coalition, including the Yellow Vest movement, labor unions, and students from high schools and universities, all expressing frustrations over the rising cost of living and economic inequality. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen condemned the violent incidents, calling for those responsible for the attack on the police officer to be punished “with the utmost severity,” and described the footage of the officer engulfed in flames as “unbearable.”

While the Interior Ministry highlighted the largely peaceful nature of many marches, the authorities remain vigilant as tensions persist amid continuing demonstrations against economic hardships facing many French citizens.