The key facts
- On October 17, protests took place in France against the rising cost of living and for education reforms; the number of participants is estimated at 500,000–800,000 people
- More than 1,000 people were detained across the country; police used tear gas and water cannons
- Buildings were damaged in Marseille, Lyon and Limoges; the Limoges town hall of 1883, listed as a historic monument, was severely damaged by fire
Scale of the actions and participants
On October 17, mass protests took place again in France. Demonstrators spoke out against the rising cost of living and also demanded improved learning conditions in schools and the abolition of the current university admission system. According to available data, between 500,000 and 800,000 people took to the streets in the actions. For comparison: the previous protests of such a scale on October 6 were attended, according to various estimates, by 250,000 to 450,000 people. The demonstrations involved schoolchildren, students, members of the 'yellow vests' movement, trade union activists, eco-activists, farmers and others.
Riots and police actions
The actions were accompanied by large-scale riots and looting. Clashes with police occurred: tear gas and water cannons were used against demonstrators. More than a thousand people were detained across the country.
Damage in cities
In Paris and other major cities, cars on the roads and shops were damaged. In Marseille, protesters broke into the city hall building; in Lyon, the city tourism office was set on fire. The town hall building in Limoges was also set on fire: footage widely shared on social media shows that the tower and a large part of the roof collapsed, and two-thirds of the building's facade was destroyed. Local authorities called what happened 'a catastrophe for cultural heritage'. There were no casualties from the fire. The Limoges town hall was built in 1883 and was included in the list of France's historic monuments.
October 17 actions in photographs
The material is accompanied by photographs from the protests of October 17 in different parts of the country (Matthieu Rondel / AFP / Scanpix / LETA; Guillaume Saligot / AFP / Scanpix / LETA). One of the placards at the demonstration in Paris read: 'We did not come here to submit to your laws, but for our rights!'
