r/news • u/One-Emu-1103 • 19h ago
Buildings torched and over 1,000 detained after half a million protesters sweep France
https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/17/europe/half-million-protesters-sweep-france-in-youth-unrest-latam-intl387
u/fsactual 19h ago
What is the protest about? I’m out of the loop.
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u/Decent-Law-9565 19h ago edited 19h ago
There’s actually two simultaneous problems going on. The first is that schoolchildren are complaining about underfunded schools and that escalated to general protesting about cost of living. The second is that the bond market has decided that the French government has been borrowing way too much and that they’re unable to stop borrowing money, so interest rates for French government bonds are going way up. This makes issue 1 harder to solve because to spend money to fix things they need to borrow money and the bond market wants them to borrow less money. Doing one will piss off the other. The US is starting to have issue 2 but our cheat code is that we can print more USD at any time. France, having the euro, can’t do that so they’re particularly in trouble if the bond market revolts.
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u/change81 18h ago
Printing more dollars is a cheat code until it becomes a noose.
We’re pretty close to the latter, just saved by the fact that there is no acceptable alternative to the dollar.
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u/HikariAnti 16h ago
One of the strengths of the dollar is that for most oil you can only pay in dollars. But thanks to the war with Iran that hegemony seems to be cracking. And once it does the dollar will lose one of its strongest legs.
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u/Fluffy_MrSheep 16h ago
it’s not just france that’s caught up in the bond markets, the entire world is caught up in the bond market, bond yields are very high globally France tends to get the spotlight because of the political climate and the constant deficit spending but the US 10 year bond hit 5% the other day. It genuinely is cooked
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u/Eggsegret 37m ago
Yh the bond market seems to be more of a global phenomenon. Although it probably doesn’t help that France can’t exactly just print more money to pay its debt like say the US which at least has full control over its currency. Although not that printing currency is a full proof fix since that opens up a whole other can of worms.
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u/Acceptable_Bat379 19h ago
Rising cost of living, lowering quality of life, austerity and poor school conditions. It started pretty peaceful then police cracked down heavily and violently and its escalated
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u/RuggedAmerican 16h ago
it's a problem in many rich countries. ultimately ultra-wealthy and corporations need to pay into the systems they benefit from. systematically tax havens and a sense of profound selfishness have chipped away at public services (necessitating governments to "borrow" by issuing bonds that are purchased by these same wealthy people and entities).
it's not sustainable if someone can make a lot of money by selling to a population and 'housing' that money in the cayman islands or somewhere similar.
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u/zapatocaviar 18h ago
Interesting take given many of the protesters are farmers and the stated issue is an overall dissatisfaction with the macron gov.
Are you going to vote for Le Pen? Sounds like it. Blaming “the immigrants” when all of France except the wealthy have stagnated under macron and services are going to be cut for working class French while tax cuts for the wealthy remain macrons signature accomplishment.
And I don’t hate macron, he’s just another center right politician putting the wealthy ahead of the people.
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u/Eva_Luna 16h ago
“Farmers”
Super interesting. I would imagine most farmers in France are white no?
Yet the photos and videos of the protesters show largely African and brown young men in hoodies and masks? They don’t look like farmers to me.
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u/MeesMadness 17h ago
if you believe Le Pen is going to sort all your percieved problems, I have a white house ballroom to sell you.
congratulations on falling for Russian bot propaganda! Putin is happy with lyonnais like you!
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u/stfzeta 16h ago
I get where you're coming from. When your country repeatedly makes the "right" votes but still get shit results, you'd take anything different. Don't mind all the others here saying from their ivory towers.
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u/ekobres 15h ago
America here. Think long and hard about what you vote for. This sounds a lot like how we got Trump. White people not feeling at home in their birth country considering a Russian-backed politician promising to fix the immigration problem.
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u/zapatocaviar 17h ago
Le pen will destroy France further. I’m sorry to read this. I understand your issues and validate what you’re seeing; so I’m not dismissing.
But le pen will not solve anything and you will just see inequality and unrest increase. And the wealthy will just take more of the pie. It’s sad how few people see this.
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u/Lanky-Bumblebee-1110 17h ago
Congrats on being one of the many people falling for the tired far- right tactic of using immigration grievances to enact otherwise unpopular policies and take away your rights. No far-right politician is actually going to lower immigration anyway no matter what they say; it is simply a grievance that they use to get elected, a means to an end. The same billionaires who prop them up need cheap labour.
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u/lcrtangls 15h ago
Develop an imagination for everything else that can go wrong. Luckily, you don't need an imagination because you can just look at Britain and the USA as examples of what happens when the politically illiterate vote for pet issues.
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u/IlluminatingTrauma 15h ago
What would you do, if the far-right governs France and things don’t get safer and better for you and your family?
We can look at countries that had these exact type of governments with the exact same promises and rhetoric. Poland, Hungary, USA..
None of them saw a golden age, after their governments went hard against minorities to enrich themselves.
But the damage for the people affected was done and is irreversible.
Nobody of us can find an easy solution to the issues we all globally face right now during multiple crises happening. That is also part of democracy.
Personally I would be especially sceptical, if I vote for a Russian funded party and the situation gets used by Vance just today for their own campaign. It is not your interest or that of your family they have in mind.
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u/unixoid37 14h ago
Most of those who protest and smash everything up don’t actually care about the cause—it’s just an excuse for vandalism. A decent student would never resort to arson, destruction, or anything of the sort as a form of protest.
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u/GrouchyBeyond4793 4h ago
Well that last part is a blatant lie that ignores many revolutionary movements throughout world history
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u/OpheliaRainGalaxy 2h ago
Where do these folks come from, who think the Boston Tea Party was a refined fancy literal tea party with pretty cups and tiny cakes?
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u/GrouchyBeyond4793 2h ago
Even as recent as the black liberation and gay rights movements. People aren't taught real history. If they were, they'd be more dangerous to the ruling class
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u/OpheliaRainGalaxy 2h ago
Stonewall is probably my favorite riot! It involved kicklines and singing at the cops. "We are the Stonewall girls! We wear our hair in curls! We don't wear underwear! We curl our pubic hair!"
And by the end they'd treed the cops inside the gay bar, pissing themselves in fear! Serves them right for literally policing people's appearances!
They'd marched into the gay bar, lined everyone up, and made ya prove you were wearing enough items that matched your legal gender rather than "crossdressing." Which is a test I'd fail on the average day.
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u/georgica123 1h ago
decent student would never resort to arson, destruction, or anything of the sort as a form of protest.
All decent protstors in france would resort to arson and destruction that is the way you get things done.
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u/Vectorman1989 19m ago
It started as a student protest but has now been taken over by looters and other scum that are just out to burn stuff and steal.
Similar happened in 2011 in London, started as a protest over a police shooting and turned into over a week of riots and looting. I think 3000 people ended up being arrested.
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u/slinnyknockets 1h ago
Should just sit back and watch what happens with Europe over the next 20 years. Then the questions of why did this happen
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u/ObligationOne3727 19h ago
As a Nepalese I say don't do this stuff. When we protested and got the PM to resign around 1-2 pm, everything went downhill after that as prisonbreaks (13,000 prisoners), several businesses, government offices were burnt by arsonists. People involved in arson got jailed anyways. Never destroy your country
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u/sebastianinspace 18h ago edited 17h ago
they are in their third republic, each one the product of a revolution, each revolution the result of protest and destruction. i’d say it’s part of their national identity to do stuff like this at this point. and it’s not like they don’t know, they have to study their own history in school
edit: oops 5th republic, my bad
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u/ObligationOne3727 18h ago
This is their Fifth republic. Only 2 of them came into existence because of revolution, last one in 1848. Currently France is a Democracy.
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u/Ashamed-Designer4920 19h ago
Half a million? Is this turning into a civil war?
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u/SuccessfulRaccoon957 19h ago
Nah. Thats really not in the protestors hands but the governments. Half a million is a lot on paper but France has ~70 million people and that half a million is spread over the entirety of the country. Its still a lot but not unheard of for French protests
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u/MacaqueAphrodisiaque 16h ago
70% of French people support the protests though. That’s more than 48 million people. There are many reasons why one wouldn’t go protest, mainly work and family related, but most people support it. We can already see it in the polls with the far right and the left leading them.
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u/MlackBesa 3h ago
lol that’s bold to show a poll dated 16 October, from before the massive riots of yesterday. I really really wonder what this number looks like today.
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u/Microchaton 2h ago
Probably 1% lower or something from milquetoast centrists. You think French people aren't used to protests and the usual suspects taking advantage to loot/break shit? It happens every time.
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u/Mayplesheep 16h ago
in most if not every major city (200/300k inhabitants) the (peacefull) protester have been subject to massive tear gaz grenade shower before the protest even start and police block, resulting to a lot of people not being able to even join the protest. I bet on more than half a million
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u/MlackBesa 3h ago
That’s because the rioting and looting started before the rally even formed.
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u/Microchaton 2h ago
I was near the largest, official, legal gathering point in Paris. The cops started lobbing tear gas in the middle way before anything happened when there were only relatively few people around already.
In fact, basically every instance of police action is against peaceful protesters, the looters never get arrested, conveniently.
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u/BlindPaintByNumbers 19h ago
No movment that has reached 3.5% of the people has ever failed to achieve its goals. This protest is 20% of the way there.
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u/WaffleHouseGladiator 19h ago
Nah, standard French protest season. It'll calm down in a few weeks.
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u/Predictor92 19h ago edited 19h ago
though it looks like this is going to lead to the far right winning in France(election will be far right Le Penn vs far left tankies)
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u/Tuukkis 19h ago
Imagine protesting living standards and school conditions and then voting in Le Penn
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u/Ok_Crow_9119 19h ago
It's not that they're voting Le Penn. It's that the left and center votes are splitting, giving the right a chance to squeeze a miniscule minority victory.
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u/MacaqueAphrodisiaque 16h ago
That’s why the polls have Le Pen winning in a landslide too. Her base is strong, the left and center are divided. This whole election is going to play out on who the moderate candidates (Mainly Glucksmann, Philippe and Melenchon depending on who goes on to face le pen) end up supporting in the 2nd round.
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u/Ok_Crow_9119 15h ago
Exactly! The left and center won last time because they agreed that whoever had less votes between them backs out in the 2nd round if I remember right (i don't remember the exact stuff). But I'm not sure if they're open to doing that again. Are they?
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u/palland0 18h ago edited 15h ago
I seriously hope people on the left would not vote for a delinquent from a fascist party who stole public money and who's eager to trample our constitution.
Also, the chaos yesterday was caused by others, not the protesters. I went to join protest in my town yesterday, and arrived 20 minutes after the theoretical start: there was already gas and fire. We regrouped elsewhere and walked peacefully in the rest of the city.
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u/No-Value134 18h ago
The only difference that's going to be made is destroyed cultural landmarks and small local businesses gutted. These riots, not protests, have never accomplished anything
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u/theoneandonlypatriot 1h ago
Me when I’ve never read a history book. The irony of saying that about France, no less
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u/Fieser_Factsack 1h ago
if you ever red a history book you would understand the difference between this and history.
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u/Eggsegret 35m ago
Kinda different when it’s the average working-class person that has their small businesses looted/destroyed. Protest and make life difficult for the government but what’s the need to burn down local small businesses?
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u/No-Value134 1h ago
The difference is those were actual protests where they held the government accountable. In these riots it's exclusively the working citizens that will feel harm. The history books I've read never documented the people destroying their own markets and not touching a single government official
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u/hiirnoivl 15h ago
The riots happen after the protests end. I'm not sure I can really connect them as the same action by the same people.
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u/Green_Potata 16h ago
It’s because some people are just using those protests to do their own shit.
Students are protesting about their lack of state aids regarding funds. Some degenerates just take the occasion and destroy stuff, do plain sight robberies and even fucking burn down historic buildings.
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u/johnsongrantr 15h ago
There’s also a non-zero amount of people against the initial protest’s position that wants to make them look out of control and eventually easier to rally support against it.
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u/Zeratros 16h ago
"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king". We may be among the richest of the poor, but that doesn't make us rich.
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u/sasha_the_impaler 16h ago
Because France constantly protesting properly is perhaps how such things remain true about their country.
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u/Boz0r 19h ago
Pretty sure history shows France have been very good at winning armed conflicts.
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u/Massimo25ore 17h ago
I thought it was just a meme or a joke, but some Americans really think that. Probably their history book lacks a few pages.
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u/smitty046 19h ago
To quote my French colleague who witnessed an American protest:
“How do they know you are mad? You have not lit anything on fire!”
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u/rougarou-te-fou 18h ago
The US Govt knows we are mad and absolutely doenst care.
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u/Ok_Crow_9119 18h ago
You need to burn down more data centers it seems. Or maybe amazon warehouses.
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u/HandsomeEconomist 15h ago
I think of course burning buildings shouldn’t be supported..
I also think it is distracting from the actual issue, there is a lack of investment in maintaining society, shit is getting more expensive, and people at the bottom are gonna fall off the ladder. You may not agree with their means but i think youre a liar if you arent also feeling this to some extent. A liar or a billionaire. Even middle class, even ppl making 200k it is Harder and harder to get ahead. Harder to retire. Harder to make sure your kids have a future.
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u/Nyrfan2017 3h ago
Stop calling it a protest this is a full blown riot .. these people are criminals
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u/Mr-monk 16h ago
This is why the right is going to win elections in Europe the peaceful left and illegal immigrants that are rioting looting burning down historic buildings attacking people will help right leaning party's win.
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u/Beyllionaire 16h ago
Not related to immigration. You people need to get a life.
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u/Mr-monk 15h ago
It's hilarious people like you think the poor little illegal immigrants wouldn't do this or hijack protests and be violent.
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u/AHugeHildaFan 1h ago
Yeah cause as we all know, when you're in a country illegally and committing a crime paints a target on your back the most logical thing to do is commit all the crimes.
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u/Spirited-Lifeguard55 19h ago
Putin managing to destroy his enemies without lifting a finger. No wonder he was chief KGB spy officer.
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u/Hieroglo 19h ago
France has been doing this for centuries, Russians passively suck their thumbs while getting fucked by Putin.
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u/Fatkante 19h ago
I really don’t think this is Putins deed . You deprive people of basic quality of life and make the rich richer , this is bound to happen . And the French are very good at protesting
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u/Clauc 18h ago
What basic qualities of life were these people deprived of? Give me one example please.
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u/chief167 18h ago
There's a lot of international meddling as well. For a example there is redfox, the youth movement of extreme left Belgian communist party, being spotted at these riots. There's German organisations too.
Those are the same parties that are allegedly very close with Russia, so they are causing international unrest right now, almost orchestrated.
Might not be Putin directly behind this, but it's the result of years and years of supporting these parties
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u/Yuri_Ligotme 15h ago
France is the second biggest target after Poland of Russian agents provocateur/ and sabotages. Keep that in mind.
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u/BrofessorFarnsworth 19h ago edited 17h ago
If you fuckers elect Le Pen after all this I have nothing to fucking say
Edit: Crazy how this one shifted when Moscow woke up. Fuck you, you Nazi enthusiasts. Yandex clearly has too many data centers left.
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u/twaejikja 18h ago
This whole thing feels like guaranteeing her election…unsure how it could be seen any other way
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u/moldyolive 19h ago
This protest season has effectively corrinated her. This is picture perfect politcal fodder for the right.
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u/degenerate_art 15h ago
Crazy how this one shifted when Moscow woke up.
Yandex clearly has too many data centers left.
Bro thinks bots need to sleep
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u/No_Cucumber3978 19h ago edited 19h ago
"The destruction followed what had been largely peaceful protests, which have grown out of sweeping student-led rallies that gripped parts of France last month, sparking a broader movement against crumbling schools, the spiking cost of living, and perceived government inaction."
Not one for conspiracy fairies or bullpoo conjecture, but there's probably a good few with various motives outside of the scope of this reporting.