France protests draw 320,000 as police clash with marchers in Paris, Lyon
Authorities counted 320,000 protesters nationwide on France's third straight weekend of cost-of-living and school demonstrations; police fired tear gas in Paris and Lyon.
The story in focus
Authorities said 320,000 people marched across France on Saturday in a third consecutive weekend of protests over living costs and schools, including 70,000 in Paris. Police fired tear gas in Paris and Lyon, and the Interior Ministry said at least 290 people were arrested nationwide.
- Government estimates put nationwide turnout at 320,000, including 70,000 in the capital; organisers claimed nearly half a million nationwide and 200,000 in Paris.
- Police fired tear gas at protesters in Paris and Lyon; masked groups threw paving stones and at least one incendiary device at security forces.
- The Interior Ministry said at least 290 people had been arrested nationwide as of Saturday.
- About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed; the main Paris march was moved to the city's eastern edge after a court battle.
- The movement began last month over neglected school buildings, teacher shortages and university admissions, with labour unions later joining.
Third weekend of marches
Saturday's rallies were the third consecutive weekend of demonstrations, government turnout figures were lower than earlier rounds. Interior Ministry figures cited by ABC News put the October 17 turnout at more than 500,000, when rioting and looting broke out, and October 24 at 410,000. Organisers' estimates are considerably higher than official counts.
The movement started last month among high school students protesting neglected buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system they see as unfair to disadvantaged students. Labour unions and others joined later with a range of demands, including the cost of living.
Clashes and security measures
Marches in the capital began peacefully before turning violent near the point where the main march was due to end. Bins and street furniture were set alight. Riot police warned over loudspeakers that they would fire more tear gas if crowds did not clear the street, and medics carried away injured people.
The AFP news agency reported that dozens of masked people dressed in black used hammers to pry up paving stones and throw them at police on the outskirts of Paris, and that at least one incendiary device was thrown at security forces. About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed, and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned of a very high risk of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween. The main Paris march was moved to the city's eastern edge after a last-minute court battle, and unaccompanied minors faced a 9pm curfew near the Champs-Elysees.
Protests spread across Europe
Youth-led rallies were also reported in Germany, where organisers said 170,000 people had registered for events in more than 30 cities and police in Cologne used water cannon. In Barcelona, regional police planned their highest alert level after rioting on October 24 led to about 130 arrests, mostly of minors. Italian police were on alert after clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna.
How does Saturday's turnout compare with earlier protests?
The government estimated 320,000 nationwide, down from 410,000 on October 24 and more than 500,000 on October 17, when rioting broke out. Organisers put Saturday's figure much higher, at nearly half a million.
Sources & further reading
- Tension and clashes as hundreds of thousands protest again in France ↗Al Jazeera
- Hundreds of thousands of young protesters take to the streets across France ↗ABC News
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