"This Is Attempted Murder": Molotov Cocktails Leave French Police Officer Engulfed in Flames, Chaos Erupts in France

France Sees Third Weekend of Protests
320,000 Take to the Streets

Interior Ministry: "Covering Your Face for Halloween Could Mean a Fine"

France, where large-scale protests are taking place, saw its third consecutive weekend of demonstrations. Although turnout declined somewhat, authorities maintained tight security.

Flames rise around riot police shields and nearby areas as a Molotov cocktail is thrown during a protest in Paris, France, on Oct. 31, against rising living costs and cuts to public services. EPA-Yonhap News

On October 31 (local time), foreign news outlets including AFP and the Associated Press reported that weekend demonstrations were held in Paris and other cities, including Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Nantes, with student and labor groups and the Yellow Vests taking part. The Interior Ministry estimated that 70,000 people joined the protests in Paris and 320,000 nationwide. The number of protesters arrested by police as of 8 p.m. that day was 511, less than half the number arrested during the previous two demonstrations.

Clashes broke out in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse, among other places, with protesters throwing Molotov cocktails at police. Officers used water cannons and tear gas to disperse them. The government deployed 70,000 police officers, along with surveillance helicopters and drones, to prepare for possible violence, but there were no major clashes or looting. Police banned marches through the city center between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation, permitting marches only on the outskirts of the city.

A protester throws a bottle during a demonstration in Paris, France, on October 31, protesting the rising cost of living and fuel prices. Reuters-Yonhap

The Interior Ministry said it had stopped "extremist groups" from entering city centers in several regions with the aim of looting. In Paris, after one gendarme was engulfed in flames, the ministry condemned the protesters' use of Molotov cocktails as "attempted murder." Minister Nunez also described the violence by some protesters as "extremely serious" and again pointed to far-left groups as being behind it. Recently in Paris, Jean-Luc Melenchon, a presidential candidate from the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI), led a march at the front.

Some protesters took to the streets in Halloween costumes. In response, the Interior Ministry warned that protesters who cover their faces could be fined 150 euros.

Authorities are concerned that the protests, which coincide with Halloween, could escalate into violence overnight. Police imposed a curfew from 11 p.m. this weekend until 6 a.m. the following day in Place de la Republique and Chatelet-Les Halles, where riots broke out on October 17.

Generation Z rally participants listen to speakers in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, on the 31st (local time). Yonhap News Agency

Meanwhile, the protests, which began last month when high school students called for improvements to their educational environment, have grown into large-scale nationwide demonstrations denouncing a broad range of social issues, including high prices. As the government took a hard line in its response and people were seriously injured, the demonstrations also expanded to include demands for civil liberties and the right to protest. The government has introduced measures including assigning more teachers to schools and overhauling the online university admissions system, but discontent has not subsided. Sabrina Carbache, a spokesperson for the student group Union Etudiante, said high schools and universities would be blockaded on December 3 and 5, and that protesters would join labor demonstrations on December 5.

Meanwhile, young people also took to the streets in neighboring Germany for the first time since the protests in France began. A youth group called Gen Z Regelt is holding rallies in 34 cities nationwide that day under the slogan "Our future is in our hands." Organizers raised several issues, including increased education funding, measures to address high prices, opposition to conscription and action on climate change. Luxury stores in central Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg boarded up their display windows and entrances with plywood and suspended business amid fears of looting.

In Lisbon, Portugal, thousands also took to the streets carrying signs with slogans including "Homes or fire." In The Hague, the Netherlands, police were deployed in the city after social media posts calling for weekend protests circulated, but no demonstrations actually took place.

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