France reports over 1,300 arrests after Saturday’s protests
French officials reported more than 1,300 arrests after Saturday’s nationwide protests over living costs and school conditions. The interior ministry counted 410,000 demonstrators, while unions estimated about 800,000. Marches were largely peaceful before clashes in several cities. Around 70,000 police officers had been deployed after widespread disorder at the previous weekend’s demonstrations.
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The arrest total passes 1,300 after the marches
French officials reported more than 1,300 arrests after nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, October 24. Protests over living costs and school conditions were largely peaceful before later clashes in several cities. Police used tear gas and water cannon as they dispersed groups after marches.[1], [2]
The interior ministry estimated participation at 410,000, while unions put it at about 800,000. Some 70,000 police officers were deployed. The authorities had increased security and imposed restrictions following the previous weekend’s widespread rioting and looting.[1]
Paris clashes follow a largely peaceful march
In Paris, clashes erupted at the end of the march from Porte d’Italie towards Porte de Vincennes. Some people erected barricades and threw projectiles at officers; police charged groups of masked youths smashing windows at a car dealership. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez attributed the violence to radical activists at the rear of the march.[1]
The ministry reported 142 arrests in the capital and 53 officers injured nationwide. Nuñez also said two people were seriously injured, one in Toulouse in southwestern France and another in Clermont-Ferrand in central France. He said the nationwide arrest total could rise.[1]
Other cities face barricades and dispersal operations
In Marseille, burning rubbish bins and metal sheets blocked streets. In Bordeaux, some masked protesters pulled boards from a building to construct a barricade. In Lyon, police used tear gas to disperse a crowd gathered in an area where the local authorities had prohibited demonstrations.[1]
As unrest continued into Sunday’s early hours, authorities in Bouches-du-Rhône, the French region containing Marseille, reported seven businesses looted or damaged. Officials described less widespread disorder than at the previous weekend’s protests, while responding to incidents in several cities.[1]
