Hundreds of arrests as protesters clash with police in France

Since mid-September 2026, students in metropolitan France have been protesting against poor conditions in public high schools. The movement, which started at a single campus near Paris, quickly spread to include high schoolers and university students nationwide, along with support from public sector workers and climate activists. On October 31, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez deployed 70,000 security forces across the country in anticipation of protests coinciding with Halloween, citing a "very high risk" for public order issues. Clashes erupted in Paris and other cities as hundreds of thousands protested against rising living costs. Footage of an officer engulfed in flames sparked outrage, leading prosecutors to launch an investigation into attempted murder after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces during the unrest.