France: Tensions and 219 Arrests During Massive Protests Against the High Cost of Living

On Saturday, November 14, the capital Paris and several French cities witnessed widespread social mobilization as part of what was dubbed "Act 5" of the movements against the high cost of living and self-defense laws for security forces. The marches saw security incidents and sporadic clashes that prompted heavy police intervention.

Mobilization Figures Between the Interior Ministry and Unions

The French Ministry of the Interior announced that 106,000 people took part in the demonstrations nationwide, including 24,000 in Paris alone. In contrast, the joint coalition of youth organizations estimated the number of participants at around 200,000 across France, with nearly 100,000 in the capital.

These figures reflect a decline compared to the previous week, when the Ministry of the Interior counted 146,000 demonstrators across France, including 46,000 in Paris.

Toll of Arrests and Unrest in French Cities

The Ministry of the Interior reported 219 arrests across France, as well as minor injuries sustained by 10 police officers. The ministry accused what it described as "radical activists and the extreme left" of seeking to drag the protests into violence and targeting security forces and public property.

In Paris, the main procession set off from Place de la République toward Place de la Nation, where police fired tear gas canisters to disperse groups that hurled projectiles at officers on Rue de Chaligny. The capital recorded 22 arrests, mostly for carrying bladed weapons or violating demonstration bans. Heavy security reinforcements were also deployed Saturday evening around the Opéra area and Galeries Lafayette department stores as a precautionary measure.

In Bordeaux, local authorities announced the arrest of 32 people and an injury to a police officer's hand after hundreds of individuals attempted to storm the shopping center, targeted three bank branches, and set trash bins on fire at Place de la Victoire. Nantes also witnessed tensions resulting in the use of tear gas and water cannons, along with 52 arrests, while a crew from "BFMTV" was violently assaulted on the sidelines of the Lyon march, leading to the arrest of one suspect.

Urgent Government Decision Banning Fireworks and Projectiles

On the procedural front, the French government issued a decree published in the Official Journal banning the sale of category F2 and F3 pyrotechnic mortars (Mortiers d’artifice) to individuals until November 27. The decision came after their repeated use against law enforcement forces and in the vicinity of educational institutions, emphasizing that these items have turned into means of inflicting harm rather than celebration.

Social Demands and Political Criticisms

Protesters' demands varied from improving the purchasing power of young people and rejecting the government's economic policies to demanding social justice. Sabrine Kherbach, spokesperson for the student union, criticized the government, accusing it of failing to guarantee students' rights to a dignified education. Mathieu Bolle-Reddat, representative of the railway union (CGT Cheminots), also called for sustained pressure, considering the recent increases in the minimum wage insufficient and indicating readiness for upcoming strikes.