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By Emma Marsden
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Tear gas filled streets in Paris once again as riot police faced masked protesters and fireworks during violent clashes that erupted at the end of a mass demonstration on Saturday.
The clashes captured on video near Porte de Vincennes, in southeastern Paris, followed a largely peaceful march against rising living costs and growing economic inequality.
Elsewhere, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France for a second consecutive weekend of demonstrations.
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Police made 1,314 arrests nationwide on Saturday, while 53 law enforcement officers were injured, according to France 24.
Violence and looting the previous weekend had prompted the government to significantly increase security, as France gears up for presidential elections in April and May 2027, when voters will choose a successor to President Emmanuel Macron.
Hundreds of Thousands Take to the Streets
France’s Interior Ministry estimated that 410,000 people participated in demonstrations nationwide on Saturday, while the CGT trade union put the figure at more than 800,000.
In Paris, police estimated that approximately 110,000 people took part in the main march. The demonstration remained largely peaceful until its later stages, when confrontations broke out near the route’s endpoint in eastern Paris.
Police then charged protesters with batons as the protest turned violent. Tear gas and water cannon were launched against around 500 hooded youths before the group eventually dispersed, Reuters reported.
Similar clashes were reported in other cities, including Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Grenoble, although the majority of demonstrations proceeded peacefully.
Police Deploy 70,000 Security Personnel
Authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across France on Saturday, around 10,000 more than during the previous weekend’s demonstrations.
Central Paris saw extensive precautionary measures ahead of the demonstrations, with businesses securing their premises, museums suspending public access and more than 20 metro stations closed.
Business organizations advised shop owners to stay shut following widespread damage and looting that affected thousands of businesses across France the previous weekend. The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and Paris Opera were among the major cultural venues that shut their doors for the day as a precautionary measure.
Police carried out checks on demonstrators and urged crowds to disperse. Authorities also reported responding to 75 fires and said 24 shops had been looted, according to France 24.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez accused groups he described as belonging to the far left and radical left of seeking to provoke disorder as demonstrations ended. He condemned the violence and thanked police officers for their work during the operation.
Newsweek contacted Nuñez via online form on Sunday for comment.
Further Protests Expected
Saturday’s demonstrations were part of a wider wave of protests driven by anger over living costs and economic inequality.
The Yellow Vests movement has called for further demonstrations on October 31, according to The Local France.
The movement first emerged in France in 2018, initially mobilizing against fuel tax increases before developing into a wider protest against the cost of living and government economic policies.
With further demonstrations being planned, the authorities face continued pressure to maintain public order while managing protests over economic and social grievances.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Trevor Davies
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