Hundreds of thousands demonstrate in Paris over rising living costs

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Paris on October 24, 2026, to protest against the cost of living crisis, rising fuel prices, and issues surrounding the student movement. Euronews reported that French authorities implemented a strict security protocol that deployed military personnel outside strategic sites across the capital. Clashes broke out during the demonstrations, leading to the arrest of more than 1,000 people. [1]

The French government blamed the hard-left France Unbowed party and its leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon for stoking violence during the unrest, Euronews reported. France Unbowed has denied the allegations made by the government. [1]

The latest demonstrations followed peaceful marches the previous week that were overshadowed by violence. As FTMQ News reported earlier, student protests originally began in the Paris suburb of Créteil on September 18, 2026, over teacher shortages and cuts to public services, before spreading across France and into other European nations. [1][4][5]