Clashes follow largely peaceful cost-of-living protests across France

Hundreds of thousands of people marched across France on Saturday in renewed protests over living costs and inequality, with clashes breaking out in Paris and several other cities after largely peaceful demonstrations.

Authorities deployed 70,000 police officers and gendarmes, 10,000 more than the previous weekend, when unrest led to widespread looting and vandalism and more than 2,500 arrests. The Interior Ministry estimated Saturday’s nationwide turnout at 410,000, while the CGT union put it at about 800,000. Estimates for the main Paris march ranged from 110,000 to 250,000.

The Paris demonstration was moved to the southeastern edge of the capital and remained mostly calm until crowds began dispersing. Police then used tear gas, batons and water cannon against groups including about 500 hooded youths. In Marseille, youths burned rubbish bins, threw rocks and bottles at security forces, and ransacked several stores, police said. Clashes were also reported in Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Montpellier, Nantes and other cities.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the violence was less intense than a week earlier and accused far-left activists and criminal groups of separating from marches to cause disorder. Authorities reported arrests before and during the demonstrations, including 65 in Paris.

Shops across central Paris boarded their windows, more than 20 Metro stations closed, and institutions including the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay shut for the day. The demonstrations began with student protests over school conditions before expanding to include trade unions and broader economic grievances.