France is on fire: thousands took to the streets, storming the city hall in Marseille

In Paris, as of the afternoon, a procession of the protestors began that included violent incidents, including arson attempts and a confrontation with the police, who had already used tear gas against groups of masked protesters. According to predictions, hundreds of thousands of people will participate in the demonstrations planned for today. Images from the French capital show violent clashes, rows of cars set on fire and dozens of riots.

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In Marseille, some of the masterminds managed to enter the local city hall, broke glass doors and furniture, sprayed graffiti on the walls and vandalized the entrance halls. The mayor visited the police deployment on the spot. “I want to get answers as to how it happened, why they managed to do it here,” he told the French media. The city has been the focus of riots in recent weeks, and public traffic in it is silent due to the burning of buses and fire engines. Pictures showed rioters breaking down the doors of the building, which was left without any police protection, and entering inside.

 

Marseille: several dozen demonstrators briefly entered the hall of the town hall, on the old port, on Saturday, after breaking down the door and shouting “it’s the Revolution, we are taking the Bastille”. They were dispersed by law enforcement ⤵️ https://t.co/QMtEYxYZTK

– Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) October 17, 2026

Images of heavy clashes also poured in from Bordeaux, where police used tear gas to try and disperse the protestors, who set fire to vehicles and threw objects at the officers. Some of the demonstrations are planned to start only after noon. The protesters also broke into the city hall at night and set fire to buildings in cities such as Besançon and Tours.

A show of political power

The demonstrations began last month, against the backdrop of students’ demand for more investment in the education system, and were soon adopted by left-wing organizations and parties as a political “show of force” and a demand to increase government spending. Among the brainers are also many who are second or third generation immigrants, and central centers were in the banlieues, the slums surrounding Paris. The protesters waved the flags of Palestine, Algeria and Morocco, as well as the flags of their parents’ countries of origin.

 

📺刚刚 NEWS FLASH – In Paris, demonstrators chant in the streets: “Louis XVI, we have beheaded!” Macron, Macron, we’re going to start again! » #October17 https://t.co/SAMlC2oAnd

— Tribune Populaire (@TribunePop23) October 17, 2026

Over the course of several days in the last month, major trade unions in France, as well as the “Unyielding France” movement from the extreme left led by Jean-Luc Melanchon, joined the “Days of Unification of Struggles”. October 17th was declared such a day, and it was also joined by the “Yellow Vests” protest movement that rocked France five years ago with a protest against fuel prices and the cost of living, and now announced the renewal of protests. The current protests are violent, with hundreds of people injured so far, thousands of detainees and large police forces deployed almost daily in protest centers.

The demonstrations are taking place at the same time as discussions in the National Assembly regarding next year’s budget, which includes cuts worth more than 40 billion euros in the budget. These cuts are required to reduce the deficit to 5% of GDP, in order to signal to investors that France is in control of its debts, and that it is working to reduce the national debt, which is expected to reach 120% of GDP at the end of the year. The yield on the debt jumped abnormally in the last month, more than other European countries, and in Europe there is already talk of a “debt crisis” and the possibility of support from the European Central Bank.

 

Demonstrations of October 17: “I had to call the president for reinforcements”, denounces the mayor of Marseille https://t.co/0II2k6MBzL

– BFM (@BFMTV) October 17, 2026

President Emmanuel Macron’s government does not win a majority in parliament, but it is trying to forge agreements with the various parties on the budget. In the past, the government used the clause that gives it the ability to pass the budget without support, which will probably happen this time as well. The opposition on the left and the right can at any time overthrow the government. The demonstrations are also considered a show of strength by the left in preparation for the presidential elections this coming April-May. Current polls predict that Melanchon on the left and Marine Le Pen on the right will qualify for the second and decisive round, and that Le Pen will win the elections.