This is a list of incidents of civil disorder that have occurred France since the 13th century, including riots, strikes, violent labor disputes, minor insurrections, and other forms of civil unrest.
1775: Flour War, a wave of riots in April to May 1775, that followed an increase in grain and bread prices, because police withheld grain from the royal stores in addition to poor harvests.
1789–1799: French Revolution, a revolution that overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, experienced violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship by Napoleon that forcibly brought many of its ideals to Western Europe.
1831: Canut revolt in Lyon, violent demonstrations in Paris and other cities
1832: The June Rebellion, an anti-monarchist insurrection of Parisian republicans on 5 and 6 June 1832. Legitimist insurrections and protests in the west and south. Food riots in the east and southwest.
1848: French demonstration of 15 May 1848, an event played out in the streets of Paris that was intended to reverse the results of a Second Republic election of deputies to the Constituent Assembly.
1848: The June Days uprising, an insurrection staged by Radical Republicans dissatisfied by the lack of social and class reform under the Second Republic.
1871: Paris Commune, a radical socialist and revolutionary government that took power in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War and ruled Paris from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
1880: Violent strikes
1891–1894: Violent strikes and anarchist terrorism
1968: May 1968 events in France, a volatile period of civil unrest that was punctuated by demonstrations and massive general strikes as well as the occupation of universities and factories across France.
1979: Youths of North African origin rioted in the Lyon suburb of Vaulx-en-Velin following an arrest of a local youth. Believed to be the first suburban riot in French history.[3]
1981: Rodéo (riot), riots that consisted of stealing cars, driving them in tight circles, and ultimately burning them.
1990: Rioting in Vaulx-en-Velin after a young man of Spanish origin was killed in a motorbike crash allegedly caused by police.[3]
1991: Violence broke out in Sartrouville after the fatal shooting of an Arab teenager by a supermarket security guard.[4]
1991: Rioting occurred in Mantes-la-Jolie after a policewoman and an Algerian man were killed.[5]
1992: Following the death of 18-year-old Mohamed Bahri in Vaulx-en-Velin at the hands of police, youths attacked the town's police station and burned cars.[3]
1992: French truckers and farmers protested the implementation of a new driver's license point system by blocking roads.
1995: Rioting in several eastern suburbs of Lyon following the police killing of terrorist Khaled Kelkal, a key organizer of the 1995 France bombings
1997: Rioting occurred in Dammarie-lès-Lys after 16-year-old Abdelkadher Bouziane was shot and killed by police and his 19-year-old friend wounded.[6]
1998: Two days of riots occurred in suburban Toulouse after 17-year-old Habib Muhammed was shot by police during a car theft.[7]
21st century
2005: 2005 French riots, a series of riots that occurred in the suburbs of Paris and other French cities involving the burning of cars and public buildings at night.
2006: 2006 youth protests in France, riots resulting from opposition to a measure set to deregulate labour in France.
2007: 2007 Villiers-le-Bel riots, riots in the Val-d'Oise department that began following the deaths of two teenagers whose motorcycle collided with a police vehicle.
2012: Notre Dame-des Landes Communities from nearby towns prevent an airport from being built on Notre Dame-des Landes forest and agricultural fields.
2013: 2013 Trappes riots, riots that broke out after police arrested a man who assaulted a police officer who tried to check the identity of his wife wearing a Muslim veil
2014: 2014 Sarcelles riots, a pro-Palestinian protest against the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza degenerated into an antisemitic riot in Sarcelles, France.
2016: 2016 French taxi driver strike, a strike by taxi drivers in several major cities against Uber, included many road blockades, fires, overturned vehicles, and the blockade of roads leading to the two major airports in Paris.[8]
2016: Nuit debout, protests that grew out of opposition to proposed labor reforms.
2017: Protests started following accusations a police officer anally raped a young black man with a baton.[9] Anti-police protests continued well into March 2017 when migrants were met with resistance from Paris residents.
2017- Arson attacks in Grenoble, generally against government and private buildings in Grenoble and his its surroundings
2017: During May Day protests in Paris, a group of about 150[10] hooded demonstrators disrupted the march, throwing "Molotov cocktails, firebombs and other objects at the police near Place de la Bastille."[11] These "violent protesters, who did not carry any union or election paraphernalia, appeared to be from the same fringe groups that have targeted anti-government protests in the past."[11]Riot police responded with batons and tear gas.[11] Six police officers were injured, two of them seriously, by petrol bombs.[12]
2018: Ongoing Yellow vests movement (French: Gilets jaunes protests) over dissatisfaction with wealth disparity and ongoing increases to fuel taxes.
2024: 2024 New Caledonia unrest against a reform changing conditions that prevent up to one-fifth of the population from voting in provincial elections.
2024: In May 2024, police entered France's prestigious Sciences Po university and removed student activists who had occupied its buildings overnight in protest against Israel's conduct in its war against Hamas in Gaza.[13] The young protesters shouting pro-Palestinian chants as they faced off with police. Students faced a “disproportionate” response from police.[14]
2024: In July 2024, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced his resignation after a far-left coalition won a plurality of parliamentary seats in a major upset. Massive protests and celebrations erupted in Paris, leading to confrontations with police and instances of rioting.[15]
^Benedict, Philip (2020). Season of Conspiracy: Calvin, the French Reformed Churches and Protestant Plotting in the Reign of Francis II (1559-60). American Philosophical Society Press. pp. 1–2. ISBN978-1-60618-085-3.
^Zemon Davis, Natalie (1975). Society and Culture in Early Modern France: Eight Essays by Natalie Zemon Davis. Stanford University Press. p. 169. ISBN0-8047-0972-6.
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