Investigations

Police arrested 855 people after Paris protests turned violent

YouTuber Nick Shirley filmed tear gas, looting, and rock-throwing at Place de la République on Oct. 18, 2026.

In Paris, masked demonstrators looted storefronts and hurled rocks at riot police during nationwide marches over the cost of living and school conditions. YouTuber Nick Shirley filmed from Place de la République and posted the report on Oct. 18, 2026.

Saturday's demonstrations drew about 550,000 people nationwide, according to the interior ministry, while unions counted roughly 800,000. In the Paris region alone, police arrested 855 people as several buildings and shops were looted or set alight. President Emmanuel Macron said those who sought to bring down the Republic would be held accountable, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said more than 500 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were injured.

Shirley interviewed marchers who demanded Macron's resignation, higher taxes on the wealthy, and more social protections for workers and students. Banners and graffiti on the square's central statue carried slogans including "tax the rich" and anti-fascist tags left during the previous week's rally.

After hours of chanting, Shirley filmed demonstrators lighting a dumpster and shooting fireworks toward police lines. Some masked protesters chipped cobblestones from the pavement and threw them at officers who had not yet charged the crowd. Shirley was hit by tear gas while filming and left as the air filled with smoke.

The confrontation escalated when protesters broke into a storefront near the square. Police then moved in with tear gas and flash devices, and Shirley filmed officers pushing through the street and detaining a young demonstrator on the pavement.

Violence continued into Sunday at Place de la République, where authorities said an unauthorized gathering drew several hundred people and police again used tear gas after bottles and rocks were thrown. Nationwide, police arrested at least 1,800 people during the weekend unrest tied to the marches.

Source video: Paris Is On Fire... Rioters Take Over France