Hundreds of Thousands Join Another Round of Protests in France

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According to reporting by New York Times World, The interior ministry estimated that 320,000 people had demonstrated nationwide, a smaller number than the previous two Saturdays. The police and protesters clashed in Paris and other cities.

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The interior ministry estimated that 320,000 people had demonstrated nationwide, a smaller number than the previous two Saturdays. The police and protesters clashed in Paris and other cities.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters were on the streets in cities across France again on Saturday, a now-weekly expression of national grievance that has led to clashes between protesters and the police, and kept the country on edge.

Adding to those fears: Halloween, which also falls on Saturday. The French authorities, citing calls on social media for people to revolt that encouraged them to wear masks and costumes, warned that the risk of a new outbreak of violence was high.

In Paris, tensions began flaring between protesters and the police in the late afternoon, as officers fired rounds of tear gas at people who refused to disperse. The Paris police estimated that 70,000 people marched in the demonstration in the city, compared with 110,000 last Saturday. The interior ministry estimated that nationwide, 320,000 people had demonstrated, compared with 410,000 last week. Protesters and the police also clashed in Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Rennes.

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Information in this article was compiled directly from records provided by New York Times World. Access the primary source document at: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/10/31/world/france-student-protests-halloween. Reporting and editorial review conducted by the USA NOW News Desk.