French Gov’t Cracks Down on Mass Protests over Cost of Living, Education Cuts; 2,400+ Arrested

Support our work: https://democracynow.org/donate/sm-de... Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched in over 140 cities across France on Saturday, demanding relief from the high cost of living, more funding for public services and improvements to deteriorating schools, among other grievances. The demonstrations were the latest — and largest — in a series of protests that began in September with high schooler-led demonstrations against overcrowded classrooms and crumbling school infrastructure. Some cities saw property destruction, arson and theft on Saturday, with city halls and other symbols of the state coming under attack. Officials said nearly 1,000 police officers were injured and some 2,400 people were arrested. Transcript: https://www.democracynow.org/2026/10/... Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe