FULL: Far-left protest descends into violent riot in Paris
A second weekend of unrest in Paris turned violent. This time, police were ready. About 70,000 officers were deployed across France, but violence still broke out at the end of the march, where far-left activists deliberately provoked a police response. Water cannon and tear gas followed. Rebel News was on the ground to record it.
On October 24, one week after the so-called “student protest” that quickly turned into chaos and rioting, the French government stepped up its response to what people were already calling “Act II.”
A week before, on October 17, police admitted they had lost control and were unprepared for what happened. About 3,000 shops were looted or vandalized, about 1,000 officers were injured and about 2,500 people were arrested. Videos circulating online showed masked thugs, many of them from immigrant backgrounds, taking to the streets, smashing windows and setting fires.
🇫🇷 PARIS, FRANCE — ANTIFA
— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) October 27, 2026
A far-left rioter is seen grabbing wooden sticks to hurl at police during the October 24 protest at Porte de Vincennes.
Those rioters were ready for confrontation, armed and prepared to attack police.
This is NOT what a peaceful protest looks like. pic.twitter.com/YNmEnc3eDw
On social media, many called for an “Act II” on October 24. That is why Rebel News sent a team to document the day. The government imposed curfews in parts of Paris and across France to contain the unrest.
Several October 24 protests were banned, including the one planned for Place de la Bastille. That ban came the night before, and the march was moved to Porte d’Italie, a working-class neighbourhood in the south of the city.
🚨NOW: French riot police deploy a water cannon on protesters ahead of anticipated riots in Paris.
— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) October 24, 2026
Antifa protesters dressed in black raise their middle fingers in response.
Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/VpW7iGk5y5
The turnout was large. Hundreds of people showed up, all of them from the far left. Even Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise, marched among them while the crowd chanted “ACAB.”
The closer the march got to its end point, the more the crowd changed. By Porte de Vincennes, the people at the front were dressed in black, masked and wearing riot gear.
Protesters cornered at the intersection quickly began throwing glass bottles at police. When rioters started smashing business windows and lighting fires, police used water cannon and tear gas to clear the area.
It looked like a civil war. Rioters used wooden sticks and chunks of concrete, broken off buildings and pavement, as projectiles. Fireworks were fired at police. Tear gas canisters were picked up and thrown back at the officers who fired them.
It was extremely violent, and Rebel News was there to document it. We also spoke with some of the far-left protesters about their concerns.
Please support our work at FranceOnFire.com, and stay tuned for more reports from France.
Alexandra Lavoie
Quebec based Journalist
Alexa graduated with a degree in biology from Laval University. Throughout her many travels, she has seen political instability as well as corruption. While she witnessed social disorder on a daily basis, she has always been a defender of society’s most vulnerable. She’s been around the world several times, and now joins Rebel News to shed light on today’s biggest stories.
