Europe
France's “Act II”: 410,000 protesters by police count, 800,000 by organizers; nearly 1,000 detained
France rose up again against the rising cost of living, with 70,000 police officers and gendarmes on the streets. Interior Minister Laurent Núñez described a calmer day than last Saturday, but with arrests climbing.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 24, 2026, 21:10 · Updated 18:39 · 2 min read
In brief
- Police counted about 410,000 protesters across France; organizers claim 800,000.
- Water cannon were used in Paris at the Porte de Vincennes; there were also incidents in Lyon, Nice, Bordeaux and Orléans.
- The number of people detained rose from 135 in the morning to nearly 1,000 during the day.
The second straight Saturday of protests against the cost of living, dubbed “Act II” by the Yellow Vests coordination, again brought hundreds of thousands of French people onto the streets. According to police, about 410,000 people marched nationwide, while organizers put the figure at 800,000. In Paris, the police prefecture counted 110,000 protesters and organizers 250,000.
The government had mobilized 70,000 police officers and gendarmes and set up an interministerial crisis cell at the Interior Ministry. The march route in the capital was moved away from the center after an administrative court rejected the organizers' appeal.
Arrests climb, but fewer riots
In the morning 135 people were reported detained, but during the day the figure approached 1,000. Interior Minister Laurent Núñez warned that the number would rise “significantly,” but said the day was calmer than last Saturday and “without major incidents.” Authorities recorded 136 acts against public order, about half of those on Oct. 17. Núñez defended the use of force as proportionate and acknowledged attempted looting in Marseille, adding that the suspects had been detained.
In Paris, police used water cannon against people throwing objects at the end of the rally at the Porte de Vincennes. Tear gas was fired in Lyon and in Bordeaux, where protesters ripped up paving stones, while in Nice water cannon cleared a square. Two people were seriously injured, one in Toulouse and one in Clermont-Ferrand. Incidents were also reported in Nantes, Lille and Grenoble.
Curfew for minors in Orléans
In Orléans, where the National Rally was holding its congress, a protest against the far right drew 11,000 people according to authorities and 26,000 according to organizers. About 3,000 officers were deployed there, a rally announced for Sunday was banned, and the mayor imposed a curfew for minors under 15 on Saturday and Sunday nights. According to the EFE news agency, most marches were peaceful and last week's widespread looting was not repeated.
