Anti-Cost of Living Protests in Besançon: 4,000 Turn Out as March Concludes in Tension

Several thousand demonstrators took to the streets of the French city of Besançon on Saturday, November 7, to protest against the rising cost of living and demand the protection of public services. Despite an ongoing ban on entering the historic city center, the procession marched along the outer perimeter of the "La Boucle" district in a largely calm atmosphere, before the end of the day saw some scuffles and tension.

Procession Route and Tight Security Measures

The demonstration kicked off at 2:00 PM from Parc des Glacis, bypassing the heart of the city where law enforcement had established a tight security cordon. On Saturday morning, the prefect of the Doubs department, Rémi Bastille, stated that he anticipated a "smaller" turnout due to fewer calls circulating across social media platforms; however, he did not rule out surprises, noting that this type of grassroots mobilization is often "unpredictable."

Across the Doubs river, numerous business owners took precautionary measures by shuttering and securing their shopfronts. Nonetheless, the city center remained calm under the prohibition order, while the march adhered steadily and peacefully to its peripheral route during the initial hours.

Use of Tear Gas to Disperse the Crowd

According to on-the-ground estimates confirmed by the prefecture around 5:00 PM, the number of participants reached roughly 4,000 at the peak of the protest. Shortly before 5:00 PM, security forces fired tear gas canisters to prevent attempts to push through into the city center, particularly in the vicinity of the Battant Bridge (Pont Battant), Rue Jouffroy-d'Abbans, and Rue de la Madeleine, creating a charged atmosphere as the crowds were dispersed.

Criticism of Tax and Social Policies

The march drew a notable cross-section of society. Among them, a schoolteacher held a banner addressed to President Emmanuel Macron criticizing fiscal policies that favor the wealthiest at the expense of public services. The protester cited figures from organizations such as Oxfam and the Institut Montaigne pointing to an annual loss of around €60 billion to the public treasury due to tax concessions granted to the rich, arguing that replacing the wealth tax (ISF) with the real estate wealth tax (IFI) alone caused a three-billion-euro deficit.

Despite earlier calls to gather at the Place de la Révolution, the heavy police presence prevented any demonstrator presence at the site. The mobilization comes just days after the national day of protest on November 5, which brought nearly 9,000 demonstrators onto the streets of Besançon.