Bordeaux, 24 October demonstration: about 15,500 people, 44 arrests at 8 pm, the ban upheld by the court

Les chiffres de cet article sont le bilan provisoire de la préfecture vers 20 h le 24 octobre.

Être in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.

Samedi 24 octobre, la manifestation a eu lieu à Bordeaux malgré l’interdiction dans l’hypercentre.

The passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.

Des groupes violents se sont détachés du cortège au cours de l’Intendance et ont affronté les forces de l’ordre place Gambetta.

The passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Selon la préfecture, les 44 interpellations à 20 h concernaient surtout le port d’objets dangereux, l’attroupement en vue de commettre des délits et les jets de projectiles.

The imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.

D’après le bilan provisoire de la préfecture, 44 personnes étaient interpellées à 20 h et huit commerces touchés.

The passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).

Certains chiffres de participation n’ont pas de source précisée, et le décompte des syndicats ne figure pas dans les articles consultés.

Normally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.

Selon France 3, le tribunal administratif l’a validé en début d’après-midi.

Selon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.

Les bilans définitifs peuvent changer.

Put a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.

Les chiffres de cet article sont le bilan provisoire de la préfecture vers 20 h le 24 octobre.

Le 15 octobre means “on 15 October”. Distinguish the le before a date from the le that marks a weekly habit like a weekday. Du is de + le and au is à + le, so decide the meaning from the verb and period expressions around them. Their role depends on the group: a range of dates, the date of a bulletin or another complement.

Samedi 24 octobre, la manifestation a eu lieu à Bordeaux malgré l’interdiction dans l’hypercentre.

Dans means “in, inside” for places, but also for a scope such as a system or period. With future time, dans deux jours means “in two days”. In the article’s example, check what it is “inside” and which scope it marks. Identify the value of dans in the passage.

県によると、20時までの44人の逮捕の理由は、おもに、危険な物の所持、犯罪のための集まり、警察への物を投げる行為です。

As in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.

最終の数字は、変わる可能性があります。

These forms say something may happen. Even when “possibility” is written, it does not mean it will certainly happen. Check whose forecast it is, plus the time and conditions.

県によると、20時までの44人の逮捕の理由は、おもに、危険な物の所持、犯罪のための集まり、警察への物を投げる行為です。

ため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.

24日（土）、ボルドー中心部のデモは禁止されましたが、行進は行われました。

In “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.

地元紙「ラ・スメーヌ・デ・ピレネー」は、約1万5500人が集まったと伝えています。

と takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.

行政裁判所は、午後の始めに、この命令を認めたと、フランス3は伝えています。

The て-form links actions in a series, in order or as a reason. In “確認して、出発する” the relation is judged from the content. In “〜ている” it can show an action in progress or a continuing state.