550,000 protest across France against high living costs; riots hit Bordeaux and Limoges

At least 550,000 people protested across France on October 17 against the high cost of living, with riots erupting in multiple cities, including the burning of a 19th-century town hall in Limoges and about 400 arrests. The Interior Ministry reported 550,000 participants, including 110,000 in Paris, though organizers cited 800,000. Protesters, mainly students and schoolchildren joined by "yellow vests" and unions, damaged the prefect's residence in Bordeaux, burned a Decathlon store, and looted shops in several cities. Sixty police officers were injured. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed far-left groups and criminals for the violence. President Emmanuel Macron vowed to punish rioters, while authorities declined to declare a state of emergency. Unions called for another nationwide strike on November 5.