Macron Faces Growing Unrest as Paris Protests Escalate
Paris, October 25: France's streets filled with protesters on Saturday as hundreds of thousands gathered in cities across the country. Police took around 1,000 people into custody, even though most of the demonstrations passed without serious trouble.
At the heart of the movement were demands from high school students for more teachers and the repair of ageing school buildings that have fallen into disrepair. Their campaign has become a rallying point for wider frustration with public services.
The protests place fresh strain on President Emmanuel Macron during the last months of his presidency. He is confronting a social and political crisis that shows no sign of easing.
Nice's prosecutor's office announced on Sunday that 59 people had been detained by police. Eleven of those detained are suspected of belonging to far-right groups, with allegations that they had assembled with violent intentions. In a statement to France Info, the public broadcaster, prosecutors said some suspects had been caught in two vehicles containing masks, gloves, gas spray and sticks.
Local media had earlier reported that far-right groups came to the city centre on Saturday and singled out demonstrators.
Government figures suggest at least 110,000 people marched in Paris, moving through the city's eastern side. Participants supported the high school students, but also voiced anger about soaring prices and the government's large police deployment. They accused the government of sending riot police after student protesters for a month instead of seeking a political resolution.
Paris was peaceful and cheerful through Saturday afternoon. Bands played music, and children walked with their families. Some demonstrators criticised police tactics with banners reading 'Repression breeds revolt' and 'The right to protest'.
Near the end of the event, close to the Porte des Vincennes on the eastern edge of the city, groups of masked people in black clothing appeared. Their presence was not believed to be connected to the peaceful march. They threw glass bottles and stones at police, who answered with tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades. A rubbish bin was set on fire, and fireworks were launched toward officers.
In Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes and Toulouse, police fired tear gas canisters to prevent protesters from entering city centres. In Marseille, several rubbish bins were burned during scuffles with officers. At least two people were badly hurt, one in Clermont-Ferrand and one in Toulouse, who reportedly lost fingers in an explosion.
The government estimated that at least 400,000 people marched across France, a number trade unions said was twice as high. The Interior Ministry reported 1,314 arrests, 75 arson incidents and the looting of 24 shops. These figures were lower than those from the previous weekend.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said certain 'high-risk groups' had mixed into the wider marches across France. He added that these groups separated from the main protests and tried to stir up violence.
More than 70,000 police officers were stationed on the streets of French cities. Shops were covered with wooden boards, and several museums shut their doors. The government feared a repeat of the previous Saturday, when peaceful rallies were overshadowed by one of the most violent days France had seen in years. Public buildings were torched, hundreds of shops were destroyed or looted, and at least 2,700 people were arrested nationwide.
Anger against Macron was prominent at Saturday's rallies. Protesters objected to the government's ban on demonstrations not organised by unions, which it called 'illegal', and to rules that kept all demonstrators away from city centres.