France Protest Participation Figures Disputed as Interior Ministry Reports 410,000 Nationwide Attendees

Key summary

BFM TV, citing France's Ministry of the Interior, reported approximately 410,000 protesters participated in nationwide demonstrations on Saturday (October 24). Police estimated around 110,000 demonstrators were present in Paris. The General Confederation of Labour (CGT), one of the country's largest trade unions, contested these figures, claiming nearly 800,000 participants nationwide and up to 250,000 in Paris alone. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that 135 protesters had been arrested by 13:00 local time on Saturday. The Ministry also noted that on October 17, approximately 550,000 people protested across France, resulting in 2,397 arrests. Demonstrations were authorized in major cities including Lille, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Grenoble, Marseille, Toulouse, Amiens, and Paris. Over 500 rioters attacked police officers near the Cours de Vincennes avenue in Paris.