Thousands march in France over schools and living costs as police use tear gas

Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in Paris and other French cities Saturday over school funding and rising living costs, as police used tear gas in Lyon and Clermont-Ferrand. The demonstrations followed last weekend’s rioting and looting and came as President Emmanuel Macron faced pressure to address protesters’ demands and prevent further violence. Students are seeking more higher-education places, school repairs and increased grants, while workers are calling for better wages and pensions.

France’s interior minister said 35,000 people had demonstrated nationwide by 1 p.m. Saturday, down from 60,000 at the same time a week earlier.

Authorities planned to deploy up to 70,000 officers nationwide, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons.

Energy prices were 21.3 percent higher in September than a year earlier, contributing to overall inflation of 3.1 percent, according to INSEE.

Student groups are seeking 250,000 additional higher-education places and an end to selection through Parcoursup.

Public middle and high schools lost 15.4 million teaching hours in the 2024-25 school year because absent teachers were not replaced, equal to 7.5 percent of scheduled teaching time, Education Ministry figures showed.

Published Oct 25, 2026 12:47 am KST

Protesters stand amid tear gas at Place de la Bourse, in a protest ban zone, as part of a demonstration in favor of purchasing power, the protection of public services, and fiscal and social justice, in Bordeaux, western France, Oct. 24. AFP-Yonhap

PARIS — Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in Paris and other French cities Saturday over school funding and soaring living costs, putting President Emmanuel Macron under pressure to answer demands for better living standards and prevent more violence after protests last weekend degenerated into rioting and looting.

Police used tear gas in Lyon, where the rally had been banned, on Saturday morning. In Clermont-Ferrand, officers used tear gas and stun grenades to push back demonstrators trying to reach the city center, French media reported.

In the southwestern city of Toulouse, 26,500 people joined the protests, according to local authorities.

The unrest is shaking Macron's authority in the final months of his presidency before voters choose his successor in May. The stakes are high: the far-right National Rally has accused his government of failing to protect the public and urged people to channel their anger into votes.

Authorities had confined the Paris march to the city’s southeastern edge, away from the center. An Associated Press journalist saw tens of thousands of people marching from Porte d’Italie early in the afternoon, but it appeared to be a smaller crowd than a week earlier. Trade unions led the procession, followed by protesters in raincoats carrying flags and handmade placards.

Camille Chesnier, 27, said she had been unable to find work despite having an engineering degree and a master’s degree.

“There are enormous numbers of people in the same situation as me but who aren’t privileged and who find themselves living on the streets and in squats and, frankly, it’s very tough,” she said.

France's interior minister said there were 35,000 demonstrators nationwide by 1 p.m., compared with 60,000 at the same time a week earlier.

Up to 70,000 officers would be deployed nationwide, backed by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons, he said.

Authorities sought to prevent another weekend of looting, burned cars and attacks on public buildings .

A protester throws a bottle as clashes erupt during a demonstration in favor of purchasing power, the protection of public services, and fiscal and social justice, in Toulouse, southwestern France, Oct. 24. AFP-Yonhap

A small protest became a national movement

What began last month as a protest over staff shortages at one high school southeast of Paris has spread nationwide, drawing students demanding better schools and workers seeking higher wages and pensions.

Energy prices in France were 21.3% higher in September than a year earlier, helping drive overall inflation to 3.1%, according to the national statistics agency, INSEE.

Macron met high school representatives Friday. They said he had promised to overhaul university admissions, but called for protests to continue until concrete measures are announced.

More than half a million people took to the streets last Saturday. Some 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted over the weekend.

Shops board up and museums close

Gendarmes stood guard beneath the Arc de Triomphe as shopkeepers boarded up storefronts across Paris. Near the Saint-Lazare train station Saturday, Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, was boarding up an optician’s shop.

“I got the call last night,” he said. “The owner seemed desperate. He said I was saving his life.”

Major museums, including the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais — where a major Cézanne exhibit is on display — were shuttered Saturday .

Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art fairs, opened to the public Friday, but only for the day, with the threat of unrest prompting organizers to cancel the weekend program.

Some protests have been banned

Police changed the Paris route Friday. At Bastille, the original starting point, police used a megaphone to tell people to leave or face a 135-euro ($150) fine.

Soumaya Abed, a 58-year-old nurse wearing a red CGT union vest, said she had been joining protests for more than 30 years but had never seen a march start at Porte d’Italie.

“They are using what happened last week as an excuse to quiet protesters,” she said. “But it won’t stop the movement. It won’t stop students from demanding better conditions in schools.”

A protest march was also scheduled in Marseille, but in cities including Nice and Montpellier, as well as Lyon, rallies were banned by the local authorities.

Thousands also marched Saturday in Orléans, south of Paris, in a separate peaceful protest against the far right as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally held a two-day congress in the city.

Trade unions have criticized the bans, calling them violations of freedom of expression, which is protected by the constitution.

Macron, a centrist, has entered the crisis in the final stretches of his term with his popularity at its lowest since he took office in 2017. He has said that the measures are needed to protect city centers, businesses and public buildings.

Nuñez acknowledged Monday that police had lost control in some cities during last weekend’s unrest. He offered to resign, but Macron refused the offer.

Students and workers are angry

Student groups want 250,000 more places in higher education and an end to selection through Parcoursup, the national admissions system.

Their joint 10-point plan also calls for more teachers and repairs to schools and universities.

Public middle and high schools lost 15.4 million teaching hours in the 2024-25 school year because absent teachers were not replaced, according to Education Ministry figures. That amounted to 7.5% of scheduled teaching time.

They are also seeking help with everyday costs: an extra 200 euros ($224) a month in student grants and a rent freeze in public student housing.

Paris protester Louis Ledoux--Xatard voiced frustration over inequality.

“Looking at countries like the United States, we don’t want to end up like them, where part of the population has everything and the others have nothing,” he said.

“I never imagined that I’d be taking to the streets so much before my thirties.”

周六，数万名学生和工人在巴黎和其他法国城市举行游行，抗议学校经费不足和生活成本上涨。警方在里昂和克莱蒙费朗使用了催泪瓦斯。此次示威活动是在上周末发生骚乱和抢劫之后发起的，总统马克龙也面临着回应抗议者诉求、防止暴力事件进一步升级的压力。学生们要求增加高等教育名额、修缮学校和提高助学金，而工人们则呼吁提高工资和养老金。

法国内政部长表示，截至周六下午 1 点，全国已有 35000 人参加示威活动，而一周前同一时间的人数为 60000 人。

当局计划在全国范围内部署多达 7 万名警力，并出动直升机、装甲车和水炮车进行支援。

根据法国国家统计与经济研究所（INSEE）的数据，9月份能源价格比去年同期上涨了21.3%，导致整体通货膨胀率为3.1%。

学生团体正在寻求增加 25 万个高等教育名额，并要求终止通过 Parcoursup 进行选拔。

教育部数据显示，由于缺勤教师没有得到补位，2024-25 学年公立初高中损失了 1540 万个教学小时，相当于计划教学时间的 7.5%。

发布于2026年10月25日凌晨12:47（韩国标准时间）

10月24日，在法国西部城市波尔多，抗议者聚集在交易所广场（Place de la Bourse），在抗议禁令区内，他们冒着催泪瓦斯举行示威活动，呼吁提高购买力、保护公共服务以及维护财政和社会公正。法新社-韩联社

巴黎——周六，数万名学生和工人在巴黎和其他法国城市举行游行，抗议学校经费不足和生活成本飙升，这给总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙带来了压力，要求他回应民众对提高生活水平的诉求，并防止上周末的抗议活动演变成骚乱和抢劫后发生更多暴力事件。

周六上午，里昂警方在集会被禁止的情况下使用了催泪瓦斯。据法国媒体报道，在克莱蒙费朗，警方使用催泪瓦斯和眩晕弹驱散了试图进入市中心的示威者。

据当地政府称，在西南城市图卢兹，有 26500 人参加了抗议活动。

在五月大选前几个月，马克龙总统任期即将结束，民众即将选出他的继任者。这场动荡动摇了他的权威。形势严峻：极右翼的国民联盟指责马克龙政府未能保护公众，并敦促民众将愤怒转化为选票。

当局将巴黎的游行限制在城市东南边缘，远离市中心。美联社记者看到，当天下午早些时候，数万人从意大利门（Porte d'Italie）出发游行，但人数似乎比一周前要少。工会走在游行队伍的最前面，后面跟着身穿雨衣、挥舞着旗帜和自制标语牌的抗议者。

27岁的卡米尔·切斯尼尔表示，尽管她拥有工程学士学位和硕士学位，但一直找不到工作。

“有很多人和我处境相同，但他们没有特权，只能流落街头或住在废弃房屋里，坦白说，这非常艰难，”她说。

法国国内事务部长表示，截至下午 1 点，全国共有 35,000 名示威者，而一周前同一时间的示威者人数为 60,000 人。

他表示，将在全国范围内部署多达7万名警力，并配以直升机、装甲车和水炮。

当局试图防止周末再次发生抢劫、焚烧汽车和袭击公共建筑的事件。

10月24日，在法国西南部城市图卢兹，一场支持购买力、保护公共服务以及财政和社会公正的示威活动爆发冲突，一名抗议者投掷瓶子。法新社-韩联社

一场小规模抗议演变成一场全国性运动

上个月，巴黎东南部一所高中因师资短缺而爆发的抗议活动已经蔓延到全国，学生们要求改善学校条件，工人们则要求提高工资和养老金。

据法国国家统计局 (INSEE) 的数据显示，9 月份法国能源价格比去年同期上涨了 21.3%，推动整体通胀率达到 3.1%。

马克龙周五会见了高中代表。代表们表示，他曾承诺改革大学招生制度，但呼吁民众继续抗议，直到政府公布具体措施。

上周六，超过50万人走上街头。周末期间，法国各地约有3000家商店遭到破坏或洗劫。

商店纷纷关门歇业，博物馆也关闭了。

在巴黎凯旋门下，宪兵们站岗放哨，而巴黎各地的店主们则忙着用木板封住店面。周六，在圣拉扎尔火车站附近，34岁的承包商阿克拉姆·艾哈迈德正在给一家眼镜店封门。

“我昨晚接到电话，”他说。“店主看起来很绝望。他说我救了他的命。”

包括卢浮宫、奥赛博物馆、毕加索博物馆和大皇宫（正在那里举办塞尚大型展览）在内的主要博物馆于周六关闭。

世界最负盛名的当代艺术博览会之一——巴塞尔艺术展于周五向公众开放，但仅限一天，由于存在动荡的威胁，组织者取消了周末的活动。

部分抗议活动已被禁止

警方周五更改了巴黎的游行路线。在原定的起点巴士底狱，警方使用扩音器告知人们离开，否则将面临 135 欧元（150 美元）的罚款。

58 岁的护士苏玛雅·阿贝德身穿红色 CGT 工会背心，她说她参加抗议活动已经超过 30 年了，但从未见过游行队伍从意大利门出发。

“他们正利用上周发生的事情作为借口来压制抗议者，”她说。“但这不会阻止这场运动。这不会阻止学生们要求改善学校条件。”

马赛也计划举行抗议游行，但包括尼斯、蒙彼利埃和里昂在内的多个城市，地方当局禁止了集会。

周六，数千人在巴黎以南的奥尔良举行游行，进行另一场反对极右翼的和平抗议活动。与此同时，玛丽娜·勒庞领导的国民集会在该市举行了为期两天的代表大会。

工会批评了这些禁令，称其侵犯了受宪法保护的言论自由。

中间派的马克龙在其任期即将结束之际卷入了这场危机，他的支持率也跌至自2017年上任以来的最低点。他表示，采取这些措施是为了保护市中心、企业和公共建筑。

努涅斯周一承认，上周末的骚乱中，一些城市的警方失去了控制。他提出辞职，但遭到马克龙拒绝。

学生和工人都很愤怒

学生团体希望高等教育增加 25 万个名额，并结束通过国家招生系统 Parcoursup 进行选拔的做法。

他们共同提出的十点计划还包括增加教师人数以及对中小学和大学进行修缮。

据教育部数据显示，由于教师缺勤后未能得到补位，2024-2025学年公立初高中损失了1540万个教学小时，相当于计划教学时间的7.5%。

他们还寻求帮助以支付日常开支：每月额外获得 200 欧元（224 美元）的学生补助金，以及冻结公共学生住房的租金。

巴黎抗议者路易·勒杜-萨塔尔表达了对不平等的不满。

他说：“看看像美国这样的国家，我们不想落得和他们一样的下场，一部分人拥有一切，而另一部分人却一无所有。”

“我从未想过自己会在三十岁之前如此频繁地走上街头。”