Hundreds of thousands protest across France as anger grows over cost of living

Summary

Hundreds of thousands of people protested in several French cities on Thursday, calling on the government to act on the high cost of living. Deutsche Welle reports more than 600,000 people took part, while the Financial Times reports nearly 600,000 and says it appeared to be the biggest turnout since the movement began in September. Deutsche Welle says the protests were largely peaceful but reports some escalation, including in Paris.

Timeline

1. Deutsche Welle

   5 Nov 2026, 17:51 UTCSource ↗

   Deutsche Welle reports that more than 600,000 people protested in several French cities to call for government action on the high cost of living, with largely peaceful protests but some reports of escalation, including in Paris.

2. Financial Times

   5 Nov 2026, 22:09 UTCSource ↗

   The Financial Times reports that nearly 600,000 people joined cost-of-living demonstrations on Thursday, appearing to be the biggest turnout since the movement began in September.