French Protests: 135 Arrested as 70,000 Officers Deployed for Second Weekend

French authorities deployed 70,000 officers on Saturday to manage a second consecutive weekend of nationwide protests over the cost of living.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that 135 people were detained during the demonstrations. He stated that police seized a variety of items, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, improvised weapons, a katana, and airsoft weapons. Nuñez characterized the situation as stable, noting that there had been no major incident in the country.

In Lyon, where demonstrations had been officially banned, approximately 150 protesters attempted to block a road near the city center. Police responded with tear gas to clear the area. A 21-year-old student speaking to Agence France-Presse described the police presence as highly mobile. The student observed that officers dispersed marches before they fully formed.

Orleans hosted a large march against a congress by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party. The party is using the event to launch Le Pen’s presidential bid for the election in six months. Police counted 11,000 participants, while organizers claimed 26,000 attended. Approximately 50 groups, including unions and student organizations, called for the protest. Marchers chanted slogans demanding that Emmanuel Macron resign and that Le Pen be imprisoned. Media reports indicated the event ended peacefully early in the afternoon.

In Paris, authorities described the mood as calm at the Porte d'Italie, the site of the city's only authorized march. Police moved the location from Bastille to the southeastern edge of the city at the last minute. Union representative Murielle Guilbert called the relocation scandalous, arguing that wages had not risen sufficiently. Lucas, a student, told CBS Saturday Morning that it was normal for people to feel angry. The government’s security measures have disrupted daily life, with major museums closed and many businesses boarded up. Art Basel shortened its program to one day, and a soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais was moved from Sunday to Monday night. Around 3,000 shops were damaged or looted during the previous weekend.

The current wave of unrest began last month with high school students in southeastern Paris demanding better conditions. The protests expanded as citizens sought relief from rising living costs. The Yellow Vests, a movement formed eight years ago, announced plans for further demonstrations on Oct. 31. They intend to hold rallies and a sit-in outside parliament and city halls, criticizing the government’s authoritarian drift. Unrest has also affected other European countries. Italy sent additional soldiers to Milan following clashes, and Premier Giorgia Meloni announced tougher penalties for minors involved in violence. In Albania, riot police used water cannons on student protesters in Tirana. Thousands of retirees marched in Madrid over pension issues, while a housing protest was expected in Lisbon.