French protests draw 550,000 as Marseille city hall stormed and Paris clashes erupt

Up to 550,000 people protested across France on Saturday, October 17, against the high cost of living, demanding higher wages and pensions. Demonstrators stormed a city hall in Marseille and clashed with police in Paris, where cars were burned and luxury storefronts were smashed. The protests united yellow vest activists, students, civil servants, and farmers. In Limoges, protesters set fire to a historic 19th-century city hall, causing its 143-year-old bell tower to collapse. Rioting also occurred in Lyon, Lille, and Nantes, with police using tear gas and rubber bullets. Similar education-related protests are ongoing in Belgium and Austria, where students oppose funding cuts and reforms. In Vienna, a separate demonstration was held against a ban on hijabs for girls under 14.