France has been rocked by escalating cost-of-living protests and violent unrest since September
French police have used batons and tear gas against demonstrators in Lyon as violent clashes erupted during nationwide strikes on Thursday. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the French city, according to organizers.
The clashes came as weeks of nationwide protests and unrest over living costs, education and government spending escalated into hundreds of protest actions across the country.
Workers, students and pensioners joined Thursday’s nationwide strikes organized by a coalition of major French trade unions, which had called for the protests in early October. Demonstrators demanded higher wages and pensions, better-funded public services and changes to the government’s proposed 2027 austerity budget.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show tear gas grenades exploding among demonstrators on a Lyon street.
Other footage appears to show protesters throwing stones at riot police, while separate clips show officers charging at demonstrators and striking them with batons at Place Jean-Mace in the south of the city.
The police also deployed a water cannon against protesters on Gallieni Bridge in central Lyon, according to French magazine and online portal Lyonmag.
Utilisation du canon à eau pour tenter de disperser les black blocs qui harcèlent le blocus du pont Gallieni #lyon #5Novembre2026 https://t.co/r0Eb9sVX3z
— Lyon Mag (@lyonmag) November 5, 2026
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