Police and Protesters Clash in Montpellier During Fourth Weekend of French Mobilization

Montpellier was the focal point of violent clashes on Saturday during the fourth consecutive weekend of nationwide demonstrations across France. Security forces deployed tear gas and made multiple arrests after protesters threw projectiles and set fires in the city centre.

Tensions escalated around 4:30 p.m. at Place Max-Rouquette in Montpellier, where approximately 1,500 people had gathered. Demonstrators threw objects at law enforcement officers, who responded with tear gas. Several hundred protesters later moved to the central Place de la Comédie, setting trash containers on fire and throwing projectiles at police officers before pushing into surrounding side streets.

Prior to the gatherings, local authorities had implemented strict spatial bans across several districts. Chantal Mauchet, prefect of the Hérault department, had issued an order prohibiting public assemblies between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. in specified areas including the Peyrou district, the main railway station, and the Polygone shopping centre. Access routes leading into Montpellier's historic old town remained largely closed throughout the day. Authorities cited the protection of local commerce and the prevention of unannounced marches as the rationale for the measures, alongside bans on carrying protective gear, pyrotechnics, and flammable items.

Similar restrictions were enforced in other metropolitan areas, including Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, where local authorities placed parts of the city centres off-limits to demonstrators. The Ministry of the Interior deployed approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across the country to maintain public order during the mobilization, which organizers designated as Act 4.

Despite the confrontations, figures indicated declining turnout in several regions compared to earlier mobilization days. In Nantes, where student organizations InterAsso Nantes and Union Pirate called for participation, around 2,000 people took to the streets on Saturday. According to regional newspaper Ouest-France, an estimated 32,000 people had demonstrated in Nantes on November 5. Attendance also fell in Perpignan, dropping from over 1,000 participants during earlier actions to approximately 300 on Saturday. Rallies were also recorded in Rennes and Angers as local prefectures maintained security measures to prevent renewed disorder.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com