For the second Saturday in a row, France's streets are filled with people fed up with how much everything costs.
The Interior Ministry counted about 410,000 protesters nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris. The unions put the number closer to 800,000. The marches focused on buying power and protecting public services, and for most of the day they remained peaceful.
As the marches ended, clashes broke out in several cities, including Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Tours. Police used tear gas. By Sunday morning, the ministry reported 1,314 arrests and 53 injured officers. Firefighters responded to 75 fires, and looters looted 24 shops.
Those numbers are serious, but they're much lower than the week before. On October 17, police made 2,628 arrests, more than 1,500 businesses were damaged, and over 1,100 officers were hurt. This time the government deployed about 70,000 police and gendarmes, 20% more than the previous weekend, with a clear goal of protecting shops. In Paris, police said 142 people were arrested.
The movement started more than a month ago with high school students protesting teacher shortages and run-down school buildings. Trade unions and the Yellow Vests movement later joined, and the anger grew into a broader fight over living costs.
It isn't only France. Protesters also marched in Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Albania. In Milan, soldiers patrolled the streets.
The timing matters. France votes for a new president next spring, and Emmanuel Macron can't run again. Investors are watching too: French government borrowing costs have climbed to their highest level in 24 years. What started with students and school buildings has turned into a test of how much more pressure European governments can take.