Protests against the rising cost of living spread to cities across France on Saturday. Authorities deployed large numbers of police officers to prevent a repeat of the violence seen the previous weekend.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said nearly 1,000 people were arrested nationwide, according to AFP. He said police faced an exceptionally high level of violence from people dressed in black with links to extremist groups.
Të lidhura
None found
Nunez said marches in most cities ended without major incidents, but far-left groups threw objects and fireworks at officers, triggering clashes.
The minister also announced that two people were seriously injured, one in Toulouse and the other in Clermont-Ferrand. In Toulouse, a 20-year-old is believed to have lost several fingers in an explosion.
In Paris, clashes broke out at the end of the march in the eastern part of the capital. AFP journalists reported that police used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters, while authorities confirmed that water cannons were also deployed.
A protester named David, who was bleeding after being struck with a baton, told AFP that police had approached the crowd and told people to sit down and move back. He alleged that officers were knocking demonstrators down and hitting them.
The Interior Ministry estimated that around 410,000 people took part in protests across France, including 110,000 in Paris. The CGT union, one of the organizers, gave a different figure, saying turnout reached 800,000 nationwide and 250,000 in the capital.
Clashes were reported in Paris, Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes and Toulouse. Paris police said more than 3,000 people were stopped and searched during the demonstration, with 65 arrested.
In Marseille, police estimated that around 17,000 people joined the march, while unions claimed the number was 100,000. An AFP reporter said clashes broke out on the fringes of the protest between police and some demonstrators, who attacked several local businesses.
Tear gas was also used in Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes and Toulouse, where police sought to prevent protesters from entering city centers.
Before the protests began, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had warned that violence and breaches of public order would not be tolerated.
Police seized a range of weapons and dangerous items, including metal balls, cartridges containing lead shot, fireworks, slingshots, improvised weapons, a katana and airsoft guns.
Earlier, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Porte d’Italie area on the outskirts of Paris. They moved there after police ordered a last-minute change to the route of the union march, which had been scheduled to start at Place de la Bastille.
Union representative Murielle Guilbert called the decision “scandalous” and accused President Emmanuel Macron of preventing protesters from demonstrating at their chosen location.
The Yellow Vests movement, which organized major protests against President Emmanuel Macron eight years ago, announced a new wave of rallies on October 31.
Organizers urged citizens to join protests and a sit-in outside parliament and town halls across the country. They oppose what they describe as the Macron government’s “authoritarian drift” and are demanding guarantees for civil liberties.
In Orleans, thousands of people marched, chanting anti-fascist slogans against the congress of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, led by Marine Le Pen, AFP reported.
Protesters voiced criticism of Marine Le Pen, considered one of the leading presidential contenders, as well as President Emmanuel Macron.
The Louvre Museum, the Musée d’Orsay, the Picasso Museum and the Grand Palais in Paris remained closed on Saturday. According to AFP, France’s Culture Ministry had asked the institutions to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of visitors and staff and to protect works of art.
