French police clash with some protesters again as demonstrations continue
Summary
Thousands of people marched across France on Saturday to protest rising living costs, inequality, and police violence. Most demonstrations were peaceful, though police clashed with protesters in several cities; authorities reported fewer arrests than the previous week.Key Facts
- France’s interior ministry estimated that about 320,000 people demonstrated nationwide.
- Police estimated that about 70,000 people marched in Paris.
- Police reported 27 arrests by 2:00 p.m., compared with 217 arrests a week earlier.
- Police used tear gas in Lyon and water cannon at an unauthorized protest in Toulouse; demonstrators also clashed with police in Marseille.
- The protest movement has expanded to include demands for civil-liberty protections and the right to protest.
- Student protesters said police had not authorized a march through central Paris and vowed to organize more school and university blockades the following week.
- Presidential elections are less than six months away, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen is leading polls, according to the article.
- France’s government faces limited room for additional spending as the economy nears recession and the country comes under pressure to reduce its debt.
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