Halloween costumes, tear gas and 565 arrests: France’s protests take a violent turn

Paris and other French cities experienced clashes on November 1 after hundreds of thousands staged protests over rising living costs. Over 500 people were arrested as police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse rioters, who wore Halloween costumes. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated marches were largely orderly but denounced disorder, including a Molotov cocktail attack on a police officer in Paris.

Four police officers and one gendarme sustained injuries, with three burned by Molotov cocktails. Police and a gendarme were burned in Paris, AFP reported. The interior ministry reported 565 arrests nationwide, with 320,000 people marching in France, including 70,000 in Paris, according to authorities. Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, participated in the march in Paris and praised the turnout.

The protests, which brought together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions, and students, initially focused on living costs, inequality, and education issues. However, they later expanded to demand protection of civil liberties and protest rights. President Marine Le Pen accused far-left groups of violence and called for severe punishment. A curfew was imposed in central Paris neighborhoods on Saturday and Sunday.