French protest violence eases while scattered riots hit Germany ahead of
school return
[November 02, 2026]
By ANGELA CHARLTON and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
PARIS (AP) — French authorities expressed relief Sunday after mass
protests over rising living costs resulted in less violence than
previous weekends. But police expect new demonstrations as high schools
at the heart of the movement reopen Monday after their autumn break.
Germany faced its own challenges after nationwide protests Saturday
ended with rioters attacking police and looting stores in some cities.
Around Europe, hundreds of thousands joined overwhelmingly peaceful
marches Saturday inspired by young people, despite scattered unrest.
In Paris, rioters targeted police with Molotov cocktails at the end of
Saturday’s march on the city’s eastern edge, injuring three officers and
setting a car ablaze, police said. Across town, masked groups hurled
fireworks at officers at a viewpoint across from the Eiffel Tower, and
police charged repeatedly, sending panicked visitors fleeing the area.
Overall, however, the violence was less severe than on Oct. 17, when a
city hall was torched and more than 2,000 stores were looted in hours of
violence that authorities seemed unprepared to control, or during
follow-up protests Oct. 24.
Police arrested 779 people Saturday, compared with 2,628 on Oct. 17 and
1,314 last weekend. Paris and Marseille police said a handful of shops
were targeted but no major damage was reported. About 70,000 police were
deployed around the country.
Protesters described various struggles to The Associated Press: with
rodents in classrooms, low-wage jobs, putting fuel in their cars.
Police are preparing for more tensions as schools reopen Monday, with
some groups calling for blockades. Thursday, France is facing a general
strike on trains and public services and protests by both students and
labor unions demanding higher wages and other measures.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s government is focusing on Thursday’s
actions and negotiating with unions — a familiar ballet in French
politics -- and hoping that the harder-to-control rioting dies down,
according to an official close to the president.
The official described Saturday’s protests as ″a return to republican
order″ but acknowledged the situation is ″not perfect.'' The official
was not authorized to be publicly named according to presidential
policy.
Germany regains calm after night of unrest
More than 100,000 mostly young people protested peacefully across
Germany on Saturday, demanding that the government invest more money in
education, housing, climate protection and make daily life more
affordable. In some cities the protests turned violent at night.
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Demonstrators attend a protest under the slogan "Gen Z Takes Care of
It" in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim
Noroozi)
Following a demonstration in Frankfurt, rioters attacked police
downtown and looted stores. More than 100 officers were injured and
54 people — aged 13 to 29 — were detained. It wasn't clear how many
of the protesters were injured. Police said 17 stores were damaged
and five of those were looted. After police cordoned off an area in
the city center, the situation calmed down by early Sunday morning.
“I am shocked by the violent excesses in Frankfurt, which will not
go unpunished,” said Boris Rhein, the governor of Hesse, where
Frankfurt is located. “Anyone who behaves like the attackers in
downtown Frankfurt places themselves outside our society.''
Violence also broke out Saturday night in Cologne, where police used
water cannons to disperse the crowd. In Berlin, protesters attacked
police with bottles and pyrotechnics.
The organizers of Saturday’s protests, a youth initiative called
“Gen Z regelt” — roughly “Gen Z’s got this" — posted a statement on
Instagram distancing itself from “any form of violence, as well as
violent acts by other groups or individuals” who were not part of
the demonstrations.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt accused “violent
left-wing groups and troublemakers from the immigrant community'' of
hijacking peaceful demonstrations. “The rioters and looters will be
identified and held accountable,'' Dobrindt told daily paper Bild on
Sunday.
Housing costs inspired protesters in Portugal
In Portugal, riot police overnight removed protesters by force from
a square in Lisbon following protests for more affordable housing.
Thousands of people marched through the city during the day and at
the end a few hundred camped out in Rossio, an iconic square in
downtown Lisbon. Police intervened early Sunday, removing tents and
pushing people away, and a few were detained.
Portuguese demonstrators have been protesting for weeks following
inspiration from the Spanish movement to call out rising living
costs, especially housing costs.
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Grieshaber reported from Berlin. Helena Alves in Lisbon, Portugal,
contributed to this report.
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