Students, Teargas and 400 Arrests: France’s Cost‑of‑Living Protest

When a protest about rent, tuition and a shrinking wallet turns into a teargas‑filled flash mob, the nation watches – and the police count the cuffs.

Across France on Saturday, demonstrators converged with students to decry rising living costs amid a deepening fiscal crisis. The rallies spread from suburban streets to city centres, turning ordinary avenues into stages for a nationwide outcry.

In Paris, police responded to the crowd outside the Ministry of Finance by deploying teargas, filling the air with the sharp sting of protest and the smell of dissent.

Further south, the unrest spilled into Marseille where protesters stormed the town hall, prompting a rapid police response and a chaotic scramble inside the historic building.

By the end of the day, authorities reported that more than 400 people had been taken into custody in cities ranging from Paris to Marseille. Officials pointed the finger at the ultra‑left for inciting the violence, while the arrested included students, local residents and a few journalists covering the events.

The day’s spectacle left France with a vivid reminder: when the cost of living climbs too high, the streets can become a theater of teargas, town‑hall takeovers and a record‑setting tally of arrests.