Nearly 1,000 detained as French protests turn violent at night

The interior ministry reported that nearly 1,000 people were arrested across France on Saturday. This figure includes those detained as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators joined a new wave of nationwide protests. Officials indicated the total number of arrests would likely increase as the day progressed.

During the daytime, the demonstrations remained largely peaceful. However, the situation changed in the evening when clashes erupted in several major cities. Police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds in Paris, Marseille, and other locations. In Marseille, protesters set fire to barricades, while in Bordeaux, individuals tore boards off a shop. Authorities stated they had managed to avoid the widespread rioting and looting seen in the previous weekend.

The interior ministry estimated the turnout at 410,000 people. Unions countered this figure, claiming around 800,000 participants attended. Approximately 70,000 police officers were deployed to maintain order. Restrictions were imposed in several cities to prevent the protests, which focused on cost of living and school conditions, from becoming chaotic. A week earlier, officers were outnumbered, leading to hundreds of looted businesses and torched buildings.

President Emmanuel Macron had previously decreed that only demonstrations organized by recognized trade unions would be permitted. In the days since, hundreds of people were jailed for vandalism, arson, and looting following fast-track court hearings. In Paris, trouble started after a peaceful march from Porte d'Italie toward Porte de Vincennes. An elite police unit, usually assigned to organized crime and counter-terrorism, joined the operation.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that several thousand radical activists gathered at the rear of the march. He identified around 500 of them as rioters. Some protesters built makeshift barricades and threw projectiles at officers. Police charged with batons at groups of masked youths who were smashing windows at a car dealership. In Lyon, police fired tear gas at a crowd in an area declared off-limits by the local prefecture. One protester, a student, said there were around 150 of them and visibility was poor due to the gas.

Nuñez confirmed late in the day that two people had been seriously injured. One injury occurred in Toulouse and the other in Clermont-Ferrand. Demonstrators expressed deep frustration with the government. A 26-year-old Parisian named Zelie told the BBC that people were suffering a lot and that the situation had been too much. Two masked teenagers said their generation felt abandoned. One of them noted that while looting was not good, they blamed poverty and police violence. They added that protests would continue until demands were met.

Separately, about 13,000 people rallied peacefully in Orléans against the hard-right National Rally party. Unrest also spread beyond France. Riot police fired tear gas at thousands of anti-government demonstrators in Tirana, Albania. Clashes were reported in Brussels. In Milan, hundreds of soldiers and police prevented protesters from gathering to avoid a repeat of the previous week's violence.

Last weekend, approximately 550,000 people demonstrated against rising fuel prices and cost of living issues. More than 2,500 arrests followed that event. Over 2,000 shops and businesses were directly affected, with damage estimated in the hundreds of millions of euros by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry. About 1,000 police officers were injured. One demonstrator's hand was reportedly blown off by a crowd-control grenade. With presidential elections six months away, leading contenders have blamed Macron and his ministers.