France protests enter third week as police fire tear gas

As of November 1, 2026, violent protests have erupted across Europe, with thousands taking to the streets in France, Germany, and Albania on Halloween night, leading to clashes with police and acts of vandalism. In Paris, an officer was severely injured when protesters threw a Molotov cocktail at them; French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had earlier deployed 70,000 security forces in anticipation of the unrest. The protests began mid-September in Paris over poor conditions in public high schools and have since expanded to include concerns about rising living costs, underfunded social services, and deteriorating public sector jobs. Demonstrations are now entering their third week across France, with authorities using tear gas to disperse crowds ahead of an expected general strike.