Demonstrationen: Hunderttausende demonstrieren in Frankreich - Gewalt am Ende

In France, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in a largely peaceful manner on the final day of protests. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had warned of severe riots the previous week and mobilized a massive security force, with 70,000 police and gendarmes slated to be deployed. In Paris, where the demonstration was organized by trade unions, the crowd initially remained calm as people of all ages participated, voicing various demands such as better-equipped schools and lower living costs.

However, the situation escalated at the end of the demonstration. Pictures showed clouds of tear gas and fireworks, the use of water cannons, and the sound of fireworks, with police reports confirming that rioters had attempted to break into a car dealership, which was swiftly stopped by the authorities. Similar scenes of tear gas clouds and fire were reported in other French cities like Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseille.

Reports of vandalism and looting emerged from the city of Nantes, where six people were arrested by security forces. In Toulouse, a man was reported to have been severely injured in the hand during clashes with the police. Authorities stated that 65 people were arrested in Paris by the afternoon, bringing the total number of arrests in the country to 110,000.

The French Interior Minister had previously predicted that the day would be long, with over 3,000 controls conducted and 65 people arrested. Many objects were confiscated during the checks, including bowling balls, launchers, and even a soft-air weapon. New protests were announced for the following week, with the Yellow Vest movement planning further demonstrations on October 31st, calling for gatherings and sit-ins in front of the National Assembly and all city halls in France.

They also announced a protest event on the following Friday, where individuals would make noise using kitchen utensils in a gesture known as a "casserolade." The Yellow Vest movement's protests against high living costs and social injustice had dominated France since November 2018, with participants often wearing yellow safety vests.

Various groups joined the protests, including young people demanding better school funding, various professional groups, and the Yellow Vest movement. While protesting for peaceful change, some individuals were exploiting the chaos to commit vandalism and property damage. To prevent anticipated riots and looting, several cities imposed curfews and demonstration bans, barricading shops with wood panels.

Special attention was given to the city of Orléans, where approximately 13,000 people gathered to protest against the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) party meeting. The prefecture mobilized 3,000 security and rescue forces, which passed through the city peacefully. A nighttime curfew was also implemented for children and youth to prevent public order disturbances and reduce the risk of riots.

Tragically, the tense situation in France was further heightened by a terrorist act on Friday, where a man opened fire from a car in suburban Paris. One person was killed, and five others were injured. The shooter was later arrested, along with individuals from his family and friend circle. President Emmanuel Macron described the incident as a "racist terrorist attack."