Photos: Protests across France spiral into looting, blazes and clashes

Author: AFP, AP and ReutersPublished on: October 18, 2026Country: France

World / InternationalPoliticsSociety & Lifestyle

Photos: Protests across France spiral into looting, blazes and clashes

Hundreds of thousands of people protested across France on October 17, 2026, against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. Marches that were largely peaceful at first escalated into looting, fires and clashes in cities including Paris, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Lille and Strasbourg. Authorities reported about 1,200 arrests and 150 police officers injured; in Saint-Étienne, a 17-year-old lost a hand after being struck by a crowd-control grenade. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez put turnout at 550,000, while organisers estimated about 800,000, amid mounting tensions six months before the presidential election.

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