Published Sunday, November 15, 9:10 a.m. ET (3:10 p.m. Paris) · Source: French Interior Ministry, Paris police prefecture, Paris prosecutor’s office
France counted the cost of its fifth protest Saturday on Sunday morning: 404 people arrested, and crowds smaller than a week earlier. The Interior Ministry, which runs the national police, put turnout at 106,000, down from 146,000.
In Paris, 126 people were arrested and 40 of them were minors, the capital’s police authority, the Paris police prefecture, said. The figures add a hard edge to the France protests that have pressed the government for about two months, a story we unpack in why France is in crisis.
—Arrests. 404 nationwide on Saturday, November 14, including 126 in Paris.
—Minors. 40 of the Paris arrests, and 38 of the 108 people held in Paris police custody.
—Turnout. 106,000 nationwide by the ministry’s count, 146,000 a week earlier; organisers say 200,000.
—Injuries. 50 police officers and gendarmes, a military-status police force, were hurt nationwide; severity not stated.
—Prediction markets. Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, prices a French state of emergency by December 31 at 2.3% (November 15, 9:00 a.m. ET).
This story is part of our coverage of the why France is in crisis. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
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A protest movement over the high cost of living has filled French streets on five Saturdays since mid-October, after weeks of student blockades, with unions joining. “Acte V” means the fifth Saturday of action, a label familiar from the yellow-vest protests of 2018 and 2019. Officials and organisers always give different crowd counts, so we report both.
What the Arrest Figures Show
Of the 404 arrests, 126 happened in Paris, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. The Paris police prefecture said 40 of those arrested in the capital were minors.
Police placed 108 people in custody in Paris, 38 of them minors. Custody means police may hold a suspect for questioning while prosecutors decide what comes next.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said the cases mainly concerned groups gathered to commit violence and unlawful gatherings. We found no national count of minors, so the figure of 40 applies to Paris alone.
Why the Crowd Count Is Disputed
The ministry counted about 106,000 marchers nationwide, against 146,000 the week before, a fall of more than a quarter. It described a further decline in turnout.
Unions and youth groups gave a far higher number: 200,000 across France, half of them in Paris. In the capital, the ministry counted about 24,000 people walking between two central squares, Place de la République and Place de la Nation, while the alliance of unions and youth groups said 100,000.
That is a gap of more than four to one in Paris alone. Such gaps are common in France, and the real size of a crowd rarely settles.
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A Calm Day, a Tense Evening
The Paris police prefecture said the marches went “broadly calmly”. Most of the main march dispersed peacefully at about 6 p.m. Paris time, which was noon ET.
In the evening, police detected two unauthorised breakaway marches and stopped them quickly, which the prefecture said prevented violence. The ministry reported violence in Marseille, Grenoble, Bordeaux and Lyon, and called the national situation broadly under control.
Fifty police officers and gendarmes were injured nationwide on Saturday. The ministry did not say how serious the injuries were.
What It Means for US Readers
A fifth weekend of protest in the euro area’s second-largest economy keeps political risk on the table for holders of French assets. Shrinking crowds and a calm main march are the signals investors and travellers watch most closely.
Americans planning a trip should read our guide on whether it is safe to travel to France and check official government guidance before booking.
What Prediction Markets Say
Traders on Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, put the chance of a French state of emergency by December 31 at 2.3% as of 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 15, with about US$2.8 million traded on that market. A separate Polymarket contract on a state of siege, a stricter form of martial law, stood at 1.7% for the same date.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
Officials have not said how many of the 404 people will face charges or go before a judge. The injuries to the 50 officers have not been described.
There is no way yet to reconcile the ministry’s 106,000 with the organisers’ 200,000. We also found no national figure for minors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were arrested in France on November 14?
France’s Interior Ministry said 404 people were arrested nationwide, 126 of them in Paris. The Paris police prefecture said 40 of the Paris arrests were minors.
How many people joined the November 14 marches?
The Interior Ministry counted about 106,000 people nationwide, down from 146,000 a week earlier. Unions and youth groups said 200,000.