The key facts

  • On 17 October hundreds of protest actions against the cost of living and fuel prices will take place in France; 'yellow vests' may join the students
  • Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported 937 injured police officers and gendarmes, 248 injured students and 149 education staff
  • The union Alliance Police Nationale filed a complaint against the state 'for endangering the lives of others'; the Interior Ministry opened 36 investigations into police violence

A large-scale day of protests and the authorities' readiness

The French government and security forces have been placed on heightened alert ahead of major protests scheduled for 17 October. Trade unions and citizens calling themselves 'yellow vests' will take to the streets against the cost-of-living crisis and rising fuel prices; a large number of students is expected to take part. According to a source close to the French Interior Ministry, 500 actions and around 90 protests are planned across the country. The actions follow four weeks of student demonstrations over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and outdated infrastructure. Most student protests have been peaceful, but there have been clashes with rioters and widespread criticism of alleged police violence.

The authorities' expectations and Macron's position

The authorities anticipate possible violence in Paris and other major cities. The source told Euronews that the far-left movement may attempt to provoke clashes with police and break through cordons along march routes. It was also warned that blocking transport arteries and key infrastructure 'will not be tolerated'. President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that the right to protest 'is fully respected' but 'must be accompanied by respect for people and property', calling for calm.

Investigations and disputes over stun grenades

The French police are facing growing scrutiny over several allegations of violence. It is reported that a 15-year-old schoolboy allegedly lost an eye to a rubber bullet, and a 14-year-old lost a hand after picking up a police stun grenade; the circumstances of both cases are under investigation. After the second incident, France suspended the use of certain types of grenades. However, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Friday that the grenades would be permitted on 17 October in the event of 'serious urban violence', noting that they 'are never used when everything is going well'. On Tuesday he told the Senate that 36 investigations had been opened into alleged police violence at student protests: four involve mutilating injuries, six significant injuries, and the rest blows, insults and reports of sexual violence.

A possible return of the 'yellow vests' and the budget crisis

There is speculation that the 17 October demonstration may mark the return of the grassroots 'yellow vest' movement, which emerged in 2018 in response to a planned increase in the fuel and diesel tax. For months, protesters blockaded roundabouts, motorways and fuel depots at weekends, with tense clashes with police occurring. At the same time, the government is trying to push an austerity budget through a fragmented parliament amid a major public debt crisis.

Casualty statistics and the police union's complaint

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Thursday that since the start of the protests 937 police officers and gendarmes had been injured, along with 248 students and 149 education staff — which, according to him, is a record for the French education ministry. He warned that the 'high school students' movement' is turning into a 'wave of urban violence'. One of the largest police unions, Alliance Police Nationale, announced on Tuesday that it had filed a complaint against the state 'for endangering the lives of others' (putting lives in danger), condemning the 'contradictory orders' to which police officers are subjected. The union stated: 'After displays of empathy by the president [Macron] towards rioters and an emphasis on dialogue, we are faced with vague instructions, contradictory orders and superficial public statements!' and noted that 'the discrepancy between Laurent Nuñez's public statements and verbal instructions along the chain of command has become unbearable'.

Political accusations surrounding the violence

The government and political opponents accuse the far-left party La France Insoumise of inciting unrest with inflammatory language. In a speech on 30 September, party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon urged supporters to 'stand up to police violence', adding that 'there will be neither oblivion nor forgiveness for anyone'. He later clarified his remarks, stating that he supports peaceful methods of protest.