Half a million protesters in the streets of France and Macron attacks the "preachers of chaos"... What happened?

Clouds of tear gas fired by police spread through the streets of Paris on Saturday, as anti-government protests spread beyond the French capital. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that about 550,000 protesters took to the streets across France, including 110,000 in Paris, while organizers estimated higher numbers than that.

The cities of Rennes, Lyon and Marseille also witnessed similar protests over the weekend. Circulating pictures showed people climbing historical statues, while a number of buildings were set on fire.

Reports indicated that protesters in the cities of Lille and Marseille stormed government buildings by evening. One of the protesters, Pauline, said in a statement to the Ofoq News network, in Paris, on Saturday: “There is an accumulation of wealth and power that is completely out of control.”

The 36-year-old demonstrator added: “We are also here to support the youth. It is true that there are victories, but if we look at the bigger picture, we find that things are not moving in the right direction.”

Another protester, Louise, 38, pointed to a “regression in democracy” and a “concentration of power” under President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership, saying: “There are billionaires who control the media, and we are fighting to change this reality.” This weekend's mass protests follow widespread student-led demonstrations across France last month, giving rise to a broader movement of diverse coalitions protesting deteriorating school conditions, rising costs of living, and perceived government inaction.

These demonstrations have become a symbol of long-rooted anger that extends across generations. Its participants believe that their demands for social and political change are not receiving a response from governments they accuse of neglect. As night fell in Paris, groups of young people looted and set fires at the end of the protests, prompting police to intervene using tear gas and batons in the narrow streets.

Macron condemned the "preachers of chaos" who disrupted peaceful protests, and warned late Saturday that "anyone who carried out acts of vandalism, attacked police stations and stores, or even looted municipal buildings, will be prosecuted and punished." The Paris Police Directorate stated that it "will not back down in the face of rioters and those who came to attack law enforcement forces," stressing that its officers "stood up with courage and professionalism."

The authorities have detained at least 195 people so far, amid increasing criticism directed at the authorities over their violent dealings with the demonstrators. Earlier in the week, police response to protests left a 14-year-old boy with a broken jaw.

Camera lenses also captured a policeman placing his hand on the head of a girl in the city of Alençon (northwest of the country). This method is now prohibited by law. A police source told BFMTV, a partner of the Ofoq News network, that a demonstrator in the city of Saint-Etienne, located about 40 miles southwest of Lyon, lost his hand during a march that took place on Saturday.

This is the second reported case of a protester losing his hand during the current wave of student protests. A student in Lens (northeastern France) lost his hand after reportedly picking up a grenade earlier this month. This prompted the police to temporarily suspend the use of a type of stun grenade.

This ban has now been lifted, although the police were still able to use other types of bombs. The authorities stated that the "vast majority of individuals" demonstrated peacefully on Saturday.

On Saturday, Belgium, Albania and Italy witnessed solidarity protests led by young activists. Earlier this fall, high school students in France held scattered protests, demanding smaller class sizes, increased spending on teachers, investment in infrastructure resilient to the climate crisis, and an end to police violence against young people.

Rising fertility rates over the past 15 years, coupled with funding cuts, have led to increasing numbers of students in classrooms while decreasing numbers of teachers. For his part, the French Minister of Education, Edouard Geoffray, met with the protesting students several times in recent weeks, but no agreement has been reached yet.