French Protests Turn to Riots, Giving Le Pen's Far Right an Opening Ahead of 2027

Last weekend, a wave of large-scale protests spread across French cities, with many turning into riots. Amid the upheaval, far-right politician Marine Le Pen is seeking to turn the crisis to her advantage as she looks toward the presidential election expected in April 2027.

In a video address on October 18, the leader of the National Rally (RN) criticized how President Emmanuel Macron's government has handled the crisis, saying the outgoing centrist leader no longer has "credibility or authority" and that the French people are caught between austerity policies that "hit them hard" and "rioters" from the left.

Protests in schools erupted on September 21 in a poor district of Paris, when students demonstrated against dilapidated facilities, teacher shortages and packed timetables. The marches quickly spread nationwide and coincided with public-sector strikes against the government's spending-cut plans.

Le Pen blamed the left and "decades of immigration" into France for the looting and vandalism that accompanied the protests, and presented her party as the force capable of restoring order. She offered no solid evidence, however, for her claim that the rioters were immigrants.

In recent polls, Le Pen holds a substantial lead, and some observers see her as a possible next leader of France.

How the weekend unfolded

Images of burned cars, smashed and looted shops and defaced public buildings appeared across France. According to the Interior Ministry, about 550,000 people marched on Saturday, while organizers put the figure at 800,000. Participants included students, union groups and supporters of the "yellow vest" movement that protested inflation in 2018, early in Macron's term.

Most protesters marched peacefully, but masked groups attacked town halls in several cities on Saturday, including the 19th-century town hall in Limoges, which was heavily damaged. In Lyon, a tourism office was set on fire. In Marseille, hooded attackers targeted a police station, after which the city banned protests. Shops in numerous locations were also ransacked.

In Paris, storefronts were smashed and shards of glass littered Place de la République. A statue of Marianne — a key symbol of France — was partially torn down. Paris police said one person died of a heart attack but gave no further details.

Protesters and human rights groups accused police of using excessive force during the demonstrations. According to authorities, about 2,400 people had been arrested by Sunday, and many police officers were injured.

In a nationwide address, President Macron condemned the rioters and accused far-left groups of attacking police and public buildings. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Monday that partial curfews would be imposed in some areas.

Why the far right stands to gain

Peter McPhee, professor emeritus at the University of Montreal, described the protests as a "Christmas gift" for Le Pen's National Rally ahead of the presidential vote.

In her video address, Le Pen said protesters had "legitimate social grievances," but that Macron's government was "exhausted, rudderless and seemingly no longer able" to address them. She criticized the government's contentious budget plan and pledged to free the French people from "the toxic policies of Macronism," without mentioning that her own party has also proposed sharp spending cuts to reduce a rising public debt.

As the front-runner in the polls, Le Pen has amplified right-wing narratives circulating online that immigrants, rather than the French, are the agitators behind the protests — even though the grievances driving the movement have intersected with pro-Palestinian, environmental, feminist and anti-colonial groups taking part.

McPhee called Le Pen's move "deeply troubling." He said: "It is easy for Le Pen to link violent attacks on buildings and shops to African migrants, through Palestinian and Algerian flags. In many parts of the world, people are drawn to simplistic, often racist, answers to economic and social problems."

Analysts also say far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon of La France Insoumise (LFI), who joined the protests, could face a backlash if anger over the vandalism grows — which would give Le Pen an even stronger launchpad.

The far right has benefited from past protests

Historically, right-wing and center-right parties have often gained an advantage after large-scale protests and unrest, as people fearful of anarchy turn to their ballot.

In May 1968, student-led protests erupted as millions of students and workers struck against poor education conditions, rising economic inequality and stagnant wages. Communist and left-wing socialist parties joined in and called for revolution. The conservative government of President Charles de Gaulle was initially at a loss to control the protests, and he even left for a French base in West Germany for several days as violence escalated and the country was nearly paralyzed.

The movement soon lost momentum, however, as public services ground to a halt. De Gaulle dissolved parliament and called snap elections in June 1968, blaming the left for the violence and pledging to restore order. His conservative Union for the Defence of the Republic then won a landslide victory, while left-wing parties lost more than half their seats.

In the 2018 "yellow vest" protests, working-class demonstrators opposing Macron's tax increases drew support from Le Pen's party, even as the left also sought to harness the movement. Many supporters of the movement ultimately voted for Le Pen's party in the 2022 legislative elections to punish the Macron government — a development that continues to shape France's deeply divided parliament.