Victoria Miele ’28

by Victoria Miele ’28 on October 22, 2026

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This past weekend 2,400 people were arrested in France amidst riots. The protesters faced police as they set cars and a historic city hall on fire, as well as stormed public buildings. This is the most intense civil unrest, violence, and looting France has faced in years.

Thousands of businesses have been damaged and robbed, overshadowing the peaceful protests also going on in France over rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. The National High School Student Coordination group is urging students and other young people to “take to the streets” and is continuously planning further demonstrations. Some groups of activists are condemning the French president, marching under the slogan “Macron must go.” 

The movement was initially started in opposition to fuel tax increases being brought upon France by President Emmanuel Macron and his administration. The damage caused by these riots is comparable to the 2018 Yellow Vest Protests.

In June 2023, unrest was triggered by a police officer killing a 17-year-old outside of Paris. This event caused protests, and rioters looted shops and torched public buildings, setting them ablaze. During these protests, thousands of citizens were arrested, and hundreds were injured.

Back in 2005, there were three weeks of rioting that caused France to declare a state of emergency. This latest onslaught of riots is set apart from the previous examples because of the number of injuries caused by police weapons.

Sebastian Roché, a man who studies splicing and violence, told AP News that they “have a toll that has not been seen in the past 40 years,” elaborating with the fact that six people, including minors, have all sustained serious injuries during the three weeks of protests; some injuries included losing hands or eyes. Roché also said, “There is no other country in Europe where the police maim protesters as much,” although Spain is a distant second.

French President Macron has denounced “unrestrained violence” caused by “insurrectionist elements from far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals.” The authorities continue to blame the violence on groups of “far-left radicals,” as well as groups of criminals who are taking the opportunity to loot businesses left vulnerable. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has also described the situation in France as “disorder organized in an unprecedented way.”

Roché claims that the far-left fringe was too small and not well organized enough to be solely responsible for the riots. French intelligence has estimated the movement to contain about 3,000 people. The activists are typically attacking symbols of capitalism and the global economy, like banks.

Macron has promised that the government would take an “uncompromising” stance against rioters, saying that the government’s regional representatives would use whatever measures necessary to protect businesses.

Authorities have decided to impose localized curfews if they deem it necessary. About 2,400 people were arrested on Saturday across France, including 855 in the Paris area, 101 in Marseille, and 199 in Lyon.