Proteste: 1300 Festnahmen bei erneuten Krawallen in Frankreich – Plünderungen und Chaos in Barcelona

In Paris, France, a large demonstration of over 1300 arrests occurred during renewed riots, accompanied by looting and chaos. The French authorities had moved the demonstration to wider boulevards to prevent a further escalation. Across France, 410,000 people protested against high living costs and better schools on Saturday, slightly fewer than the week before.

This was accompanied by protests in Italy and Spain. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that the marches proceeded smoothly, with only isolated clashes with the police. There were 1314 arrests nationwide, with 75 attempted arson incidents and 24 looted stores. 53 police officers were injured. In Paris, demonstrators of all ages gathered to express their discontent, emphasizing the importance of the right to protest alongside voting rights.

The protests followed violent events on October 17th, where over 500,000 people protested peacefully until aggression and violent confrontations erupted. Shops were damaged or looted, causing widespread public debate. French trade unions now worry that violence may overshadow the core issues of living costs and better educational opportunities.

For weeks, students, workers, and students have been on strike for better education. Police forces deployed a massive presence, with 70,000 police officers and gendarmes on duty. Shop owners in many cities erected plastic barriers in front of their storefronts to protect them from damage. In Paris, some shops were completely evacuated to avoid looting.

President Emmanuel Macron announced that any demonstrations not officially registered through trade unions would be prohibited. In cities like Marseille or Metz, authorities banned certain demonstrations and implemented curfews in specific zones. The trade unions criticized the relocation of demonstrations to the outskirts, stating that repression and bans would not stop mobilization.

Regarding the isolated clashes, Nuñez attributed them to activists of the "radical extreme left" who acted on the fringes of the gatherings. The interior ministry reported 2025 arson incidents, 1522 looted shops, and 1144 injured officers by last update. The escalation involved additional violent teenagers from the suburbs on October 17th, overwhelming the police on multiple fronts.

Demonstrations are expected to continue in France, with more protests announced for next Sunday. Another large strike and protest day is planned for November 5th by the trade unions. Demonstrations also took place in other European countries, including Spain and Italy, with protests centered on high living costs, high fuel prices, and military expansion.

In Barcelona, around 600 youths looted at least 23 shops, with 128 activists arrested by the Catalan police Mossos d'Esquadra. Most were minors who organized themselves via social media and arrived at Plaça Catalunya around 17:00. They threw stones and sticks at police forces and looted shops. Around 230 intervention forces received projectiles and looted stores.

The scale of the protests in Barcelona was comparatively smaller than in France. Catalan authorities had warned of potential unrest. The violent demonstration in Barcelona appeared to be modeled after the French student protests, with the slogan "Instituts Indignats." Witnesses reported that some youths spoke French among themselves.