Protests Over High Prices Sweep France; 2,400 Arrested... Macron: “I Feel Anger and Shame” (Roundup)

Macron: "There Is No Excuse, Whatever the Reason"
Protests Spread to Spain, Italy and Portugal

AP-Yonhap News

Some of the large-scale protests that erupted simultaneously across France turned violent, leaving more than 1,000 people injured. Despite French authorities’ pledge to crack down on violent protests and the arrest of thousands, the protest fervor appears to be spreading to neighboring countries. There are even concerns that the unrest could escalate into a political crisis across Europe.

According to local outlet France 24, France’s Interior Ministry said on October 18 that 550,000 people took part in protests nationwide over the weekend. Some protesters turned violent, setting fires and looting, leaving more than 1,000 people, including police officers and protesters, injured. The damage was reportedly worth hundreds of millions of euros or more.

In Limoges in central France, where the protests caused significant damage, a fire set by protesters brought down the roof of the city hall, a historic building. Hundreds of stores were looted in major cities including Paris, Marseille and Lyon. French authorities also launched a forceful crackdown, arresting more than 2,400 people so far.

French President Emmanuel Macron also vowed to crack down on illegal and violent protests in an emergency address to the nation on October 18. “I feel anger and shame over the looting and violence that took place during the protests,” he said, stressing that “nothing can justify this, and no reason can excuse it.”

Reuters-Yonhap News

The protests began with demonstrations by French high school students, which started in mid-September, calling for improvements to their educational conditions. What began as small-scale student protests gradually drew in parents and teachers, and later expanded into large-scale demonstrations nationwide as university students and the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), France’s largest labor union, joined in.

Protesters are demanding that the government lower prices and raise pensions and wages. They say living conditions have become increasingly difficult because wage growth has failed to keep pace with inflation over the past 10 years. According to figures from the French Economic Observatory (OFCE), food prices in France have risen 35% since 2016, while average wages for workers have increased by only 24%.

Meanwhile, public opposition has grown as the French government pushes to cut health and social welfare spending, saying it must first address the country’s serious public debt. According to France’s Finance Ministry, government debt stood at 115.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025, more than 30% higher than the European Union (EU) average of 82.9%. The figure is expected to rise further to 118.5% in 2026.

The protest fervor is spreading to neighboring countries. On October 17, large-scale demonstrations condemning high prices were held in Madrid, Spain; Rome and Milan, Italy; and Lisbon, Portugal.

Some observers warn that the protests, which erupted ahead of France’s presidential election in April 2027, could escalate into a crisis for the European Union (EU). British outlet The Times said, “The protests have cost France’s ruling center-right Renaissance party considerable public support, while increasing the likelihood that the far-right National Rally (RN) will take power.” It added, “If the RN, which champions a ‘France first’ policy, takes office, France, the EU’s second-largest economy, could sharply reduce its support for the bloc, further weakening EU integration.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.