US, Israeli flags trampled and burned during French protests

Footage and photographs from Lyon showed protesters trampling and burning U.S. and Israeli flags as an estimated 320,000 people took to the streets across France on Saturday for a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over living costs and poor school conditions.

Although most demonstrations were peaceful, clashes broke out in several cities, prompting police to use tear gas and other crowd-control measures, while online calls for a “revolution” and “insurrection” raised concerns about further unrest.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party (LFI), which has frequently criticized Israel, praised the large turnout at demonstrations across the country. He attended the protest in Paris.

"Despite closed metro stations, a weeklong campaign of fearmongering by the establishment media and a last-minute change to the meeting point, turnout was just as strong this week," Mélenchon wrote in a post on 𝕏.

Some protesters wore masks and Halloween costumes to conceal their identities. In Lyon, demonstrators threw objects at police, who responded with tear gas. Clashes also broke out in Paris and other cities as the demonstrations continued into the evening.

The protests have escalated into serious rioting in recent weeks. On Oct. 17, around 3,000 businesses were reportedly damaged or looted during unrest across France. Rioters also attacked passersby and set fire to garbage bins, buildings and vehicles. In Limoges, a fire damaged the historic city hall. Authorities subsequently imposed nighttime restrictions in some areas.

The demonstrations have involved the Yellow Vest movement, school and university student organizations, trade unions and other groups. Far-left activists have also been involved in some of the violence, while Palestinian flags have appeared at protests across France.

Turnout estimates have varied. French authorities estimated that 410,000 people demonstrated nationwide on Oct. 24, while organizers claimed that 800,000 had participated.

For Saturday’s demonstrations, youth unions estimated that nearly 500,000 people took part, including 200,000 in Paris, while authorities put the nationwide figure at 320,000.

Demonstrators in Paris carried signs reading "Climate and cost-of-living emergency" and "We don't want to spend our entire lives just making a living."

Camille Green, a 31-year-old protester from Nantes, explained why she decided to participate.

"We say no to the rising cost of living, no to the far right. Yes to the demands of high school students, and yes to the voices of citizens," Green said.

Some protesters have also criticized restrictions on demonstrations in city centers, which authorities imposed in response to the violence.

"It frightens me to see what is happening in this French democracy. A police state is taking shape," argued Eloise, a 35-year-old protester from Toulouse.

French authorities have reported thousands of arrests since the unrest began in September. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said at least 1,193 police officers and gendarmes had been injured during the protests.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu have acknowledged that authorities underestimated the scale of the demonstrations and were unprepared for the unrest.

The French Chamber of Commerce has estimated that the riots have caused more than €1 billion in damage to businesses. The government is advancing legislation that would require rioters to pay up to €10,000 for damage they personally caused or that was caused by groups with which they are affiliated.

Meanwhile, more than 1,300 antisemitic online posts blamed Jews, Israel and the Mossad for the unrest, according to a report published last month by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM). The report documented 1,384 posts from 816 accounts on 𝕏 between Oct. 16 and 18, including conspiracy theories alleging Jewish or Israeli involvement in the unrest.

The French protests have also inspired youth demonstrations in other European countries, including Italy, Germany and Spain.