Thousands march across France in third weekend of cost-of-living protests; clashes and arrests reported

French police fired tear gas and clashed with some protesters on Saturday, October 31, as the French government estimated 320,000 people marched nationwide against high living costs and police violence. The Interior Ministry said about 70,000 took part in Paris, down from over 500,000 nationwide on October 17 and 410,000 on October 24, by government estimates; organisers' figures are much higher. Authorities reported more than 560 arrests by Saturday night, after thousands of arrests following riots and looting at the previous two Saturday marches. Clashes occurred in Marseille. In Lyon, people threw projectiles and police used tear gas, and in Toulouse police used water cannon on an unauthorized protest of several thousand, mostly young people. The Paris march was moved to the capital's eastern outskirts after France's highest administrative court upheld a ban on the planned route. About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed, and some areas had curfews. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had warned of a "very high risk" of disorder and reminded people that covering one's face at demonstrations is illegal. Hard-left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon joined the Paris march.

Left-leaning CBS News leads with the street confrontations: tear gas, water cannon, projectiles and the 560-plus arrests, citing a journalist at the scene and the Associated Press. It adds color from the Paris march, including Halloween costumes and placards, and quotes Mélenchon's accusation that Macron's government is taking an authoritarian turn. It describes the demonstrations as largely peaceful. The alternative outlets differ in focus. The Hindu stresses the declining turnout across three weekends, the contrast between government and organiser counts, the court fight and the relocated route. France 24 previews the day, focusing on the route ban, the 70,000 security personnel, curfews and Nuñez's Halloween-themed warning about face coverings. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had.