Demonstrations across France on Saturday, October 24, drew close to 410,000 participants, according to the interior ministry, Le Monde.fr reports. The CGT union gave a far higher figure, saying more than 800,000 people took part nationwide.
The two counts differ by roughly half, a gap that has become familiar in French protest reporting, where union estimates and government tallies rarely align. Le Monde.fr and other outlets, including franceinfo, Libération, Le Figaro and 20 Minutes, carried both numbers in their live coverage of the day.
Le Monde.fr also reported tensions in several major cities during the demonstrations. The available reporting did not specify which cities were affected or what form the tensions took.
The October 24 mobilization was tracked in real time by several French newsrooms, which published rolling updates through the afternoon as turnout figures came in from different sources. Le Monde.fr's live coverage was timestamped at 17:45 GMT on the day of the protests.
What to watch next: whether officials release a final, consolidated count and whether any disturbances are detailed in the days after the demonstrations.