Footage showing protesters trampling and setting fire to American and Israeli flags during demonstrations in France has surfaced online, drawing widespread attention amid escalating tensions during the country's ongoing street protests.
The incident was reported in Lyon on Saturday, October 31, when demonstrators were seen stomping on the US and Israeli flags before setting them ablaze. Videos circulating on social media showed an individual laying the Israeli flag on the transparent roof of a tram shelter and trampling it. Another protester was seen setting the American flag on fire, followed by the Israeli flag.
The crowd reportedly cheered as the flags were burned, with some demonstrators heard chanting anti-Israel slogans. The footage has sparked attention online, adding to the controversy surrounding the protests.
BREAKING: Far-left extremists are throwing more and more Molotov cocktails on police officers in Paris. This video shows a police officer engulfed in flames https://t.co/IcfPKDHLz3
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 31, 2026
Protests across France turn violent
The incident came as thousands of people took to the streets across France for the third consecutive weekend of demonstrations against rising living costs, inequality and deteriorating public services.
According to France's Interior Ministry, around 320,000 people participated in demonstrations across the country on Saturday, compared with an estimated 410,000 the previous weekend. While most of the nearly 150 rallies remained peaceful, clashes erupted in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and several other cities as the demonstrations ended.
In Paris, masked individuals dressed in black reportedly used hammers to remove paving stones and throw them at police personnel. At least one incendiary device was also hurled at security forces, injuring a police officer.
Police responded with tear gas, stun grenades and baton charges to disperse the crowds. Authorities reported 565 arrests nationwide, while four police officers and one gendarme were injured in Paris.
70,000 security personnel deployed
Ahead of the demonstrations, French authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across the country to prevent violence and maintain public order.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had warned of a high risk of disturbances, particularly during the evening hours, following violence during earlier demonstrations.
The protests brought together school and university students, trade unions and members of the Yellow Vest movement. Demonstrators raised concerns over the rising cost of living, widening inequalities, deteriorating educational facilities and public services.
Student organisations have also indicated plans for further demonstrations and blockades in the coming days.
The latest unrest follows two consecutive weekends of protests, with the October 17 demonstrations witnessing widespread violence and looting in several French cities.
While the majority of Saturday's demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated incidents of violence and the burning of American and Israeli flags in Lyon have drawn additional attention to the protests.
