What was the story of Halloween in Paris? Marie Antoinette's parade smelled of tear gas Saturday More than 320,000 people participated in Halloween-themed demonstrations in various French cities, with a strong presence of young people; But some rallies led to clashes with the police. The government deployed about 70,000 security forces and a total of 565 people were arrested. Despite the relative decrease in violence compared to previous protests, social discontent continued and political differences regarding how to deal with the protesters intensified.