France protests draw 410,000 as arrests near 1,000
Interior ministry says 410,000 protested and nearly 1,000 were arrested; unions put turnout at 800,000 as clashes followed marches in Paris and other cities.
The story in focus
Officials said nearly 1,000 people were arrested after a day of mass protests across France over schools, policing and living costs. The interior ministry estimated 410,000 demonstrators; unions said about 800,000. Clashes broke out late on Saturday in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon, but officials avoided disorder on last weekend's scale.
- Interior ministry estimated 410,000 protesters nationwide; unions put the figure at about 800,000.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said nearly 1,000 people were arrested and the number would rise.
- Some 70,000 police were deployed, with restrictions imposed in several cities.
- Two people were seriously injured, in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand, officials said.
- President Emmanuel Macron had decreed only demonstrations organised by recognised trade unions would be permitted.
Turnout and arrests
Hundreds of thousands of people joined protests across France on Saturday over the cost of living, poor school conditions and heavy policing, according to officials and organisers. The interior ministry put turnout at 410,000, while trade unions estimated about 800,000. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said late in the day that nearly 1,000 people had been arrested and that the figure would increase.
About 70,000 police officers were deployed and restrictions imposed in several cities. Nuñez said several thousand radical activists gathered at the rear of the Paris march, including around 500 individuals identified as rioters. Two people were seriously injured, one in Toulouse and one in Clermont-Ferrand, he said.
Clashes after peaceful marches
Demonstrations were largely peaceful before confrontations erupted late on Saturday. In Paris, police fired tear gas and water cannon at the end of a march from Porte d'Italie to Porte de Vincennes, and officers baton-charged masked youths. Barricades were set alight in Marseille and Bordeaux, and police used tear gas in Lyon to disperse a crowd gathered in an area deemed off-limits by the local prefecture.
Officials said they had so far avoided rioting and looting on the scale seen the previous weekend, when more than 2,500 people were arrested and thousands of businesses were affected. The protests come ahead of presidential elections in six months.
How many people joined Saturday's protests across France?
The interior ministry estimated 410,000 protesters nationwide, while trade unions put the figure at about 800,000. At least 110,000 marched in Paris, according to government estimates.
Sources & further reading
- Almost 1,000 arrested as clashes follow another day of mass protests across France ↗BBC News
- Hundreds of thousands march across France in protests over schools and policing ↗The Guardian
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