Nearly 1,000 arrests were made as hundreds of thousands of people participated in another day of protests across France on Saturday, which were followed by clashes in several cities. After a day of largely peaceful demonstrations, police resorted to firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse protesters in cities including Paris, while barricades were set ablaze in Marseille and shop boards were ripped off in Bordeaux.
Protest Overview
The French Interior Ministry estimated that around 410,000 people protested, while unions claimed the number was closer to 800,000. To prevent chaos similar to last weekend's riots, which saw significant disorder, 70,000 police officers were deployed, and restrictions were imposed in several cities. President Emmanuel Macron had previously decreed that only demonstrations organized by recognized trade unions would be permitted.
Clashes and Arrests
Clashes erupted in Paris at the end of a peaceful march from Porte d'Italie to Porte de Vincennes. An elite police unit, typically engaged in organized crime and counter-terrorism, was involved in the operation. Protesters erected makeshift barricades and threw projectiles at officers, who responded with baton charges against groups of masked youths vandalizing a car dealership.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that "several thousand radical activists" were present, including around 500 identified rioters. In Marseille, protesters set rubbish bins ablaze and blocked streets with metal sheets. In Bordeaux, some demonstrators were seen constructing barricades from building materials.
