France reports 1,314 arrests after nationwide cost-of-living protests

France’s Interior Ministry reported 1,314 arrests and 53 injured security personnel after nationwide demonstrations over living costs. Violence followed largely peaceful marches in some cities, while unions and protest groups called for further action.

• The Interior Ministry’s provisional tally recorded 1,314 arrests following Saturday’s demonstrations, updating earlier reports of nearly 1,000.· 1 source
• Authorities estimated 410,000 participants nationwide, while the organising CGT union put attendance at 800,000. Demonstrators protested high living costs.· 1 source
• The ministry reported 53 injured security personnel, 75 fires and 24 looted businesses. It supplied no overall count of injured protesters; Interior Minister Laurent Nunez separately reported two serious protester injuries.· 2 sources
• Around 70,000 security personnel were deployed nationwide. Paris’s main march was largely peaceful before clashes broke out as crowds dispersed; police used tear gas and water cannons.· 2 sources
• Unions and protest groups called for demonstrations on October 31 and a nationwide strike on November 5. The government opened talks with unions and student representatives, but protest leaders said its proposals were inadequate.· 1 source