Mass protests in France: more rain than water cannons

The demonstration was actually supposed to start in Paris at the Place de la Bastille, the historical site of the French Revolution of 1789. But a few hours before the start, the police prefecture changed the route to the southern outskirts of Paris. The “Act II” of the protests for lower living costs and better school equipment in France was therefore significantly less central than planned.

The last-minute change to the demo route is part of a series of government measures since the October 17 riots that have suppressed or made public protests more difficult. These include bans on gatherings for rallies not registered by unions as well as night curfews and the deployment of the military in the capital.

Across France, 70,000 police officers were mobilized on October 24th, around 10,000 more than a week earlier.

Despite all this - and despite the rain and the autumn holidays - according to the Interior Ministry, 410,000 people took to the streets across the country, and according to trade unions there were around 800,000. At least 110,000 demonstrated in Paris, roughly the same number as the previous week.

The 19-year-old student Josefien Mertens was also there. “I was there for two hours and didn’t see any violence at all,” she says. A band with trumpets and saxophones played “Bella Ciao,” and people handed out free stickers and food. “It was impressive how many people came together to protest for a better future.”

Josefien found out about the change of location early on via Instagram. “But it’s unfair that shop owners didn’t have time to properly prepare for the protests,” she says. The shop windows around the Bastille have been barricaded with wooden panels for days. However, not on the sidelines of the actual protest march. There, Josefien says, she saw business people trying to secure their stores at the last minute.

In the end it wasn't necessary. Images of smashed showcases and looted shops, which have overshadowed the movement's demands since October 17th, were absent from “Act II” on October 24th. However, the day was not entirely without violence. When the demonstration reached its end point in the evening, it was violently dispersed. Videos circulating online show police using tear gas, water cannons and batons against protesters.

Le Monde reports that a young man suffered a serious injury to his hand in Toulouse and another had his fingers mutilated by a tear gas grenade in Clermont-Ferrand. La Nouvelle République also reports an eye injury in Poitiers. A bank branch in nearby Tours was set on fire. Despite everything, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the demonstrations “went well.” In total there were around 1,000 arrests.

Dorian was there for the second time on Saturday. The Paris student prefers not to give his last name. Last week he was at the Place de la République, where the police blocked the exits and threw tear gas. Nevertheless, he decided to come back. “It would be a lie to say I’m not afraid,” says Dorian. “But if you have to be afraid of violent repression when protesting, that’s a reason for me why you should go anyway.”

Dorian accuses President Emmanuel Macron's government of neglecting public infrastructure - such as schools - while the rich receive tax breaks. The restrictions on the right to assembly and the numerous arrests surrounding the protests also reinforce his criticism. “This is not the ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’ that France promotes,” he says. “And that’s why I will continue to protest.”

It is not clear at the moment that the protests will die down any time soon. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, presidential candidate of the left-wing populist party LFI (La France insoumise), said on Saturday that Macron “will understand that this will be repeated every week”. In keeping with this, the yellow vests have already announced an “Act III” for October 31st. A nationwide strike is also planned for November 5th.