Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in cities across France this weekend, with some 70,000 officers deployed, equipped with tear gas and water cannons.
Powerful pictures show protesters clashing with officers just days after some of the worst unrest the country has seen in decades.
Last weekend, hundreds of arrests were made as peaceful protests descended into arson, looting, and physical violence, which French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said there is ‘no place’ for.
Initially, student-led demonstrations demanded better public school building conditions and action against teacher shortages, budget constraints, and overcrowding in classrooms, with staff, parents, lawyers, and emergency service workers joining in solidarity.
Further unrest then stemmed from anger towards rising living costs and fuel prices, with reports that over half a million citizens had gathered in defiance of President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Ultimately, the protests were overshadowed by riots, which led to buildings being vandalised, town halls being taken over, and 500 businesses being damaged.
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But that was far from the end, as the likelihood of returning rioters forced the interior ministry to heighten security measures and impose restrictions today.
This followed criticism from opposing parties that the government failed to prepare for the scale of last week’s disorder, which resulted in 2,700 arrests and, as of Thursday, 217 convictions in fast-track trials.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said: ‘We will not let anything go unchallenged.
‘We will be uncompromising with the vandals, with the looters, and all those who commit acts of violence.’
As well as the planned protests, authorities were anticipating separate instances of violence, with Nuñez noting calls for violence from the ‘far left and radical extreme left’ on social media.
Interior Ministry official Jean-Didier Berger said there would be a 20% increase in police deployments compared to last weekend, with forces backed by helicopters, while curfews were implemented and extended until Monday in parts of Paris.
Partial curfews through the week also restricted movement of young people in cities such as Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, and Lyon, and Macron had plans to divert demonstrations organised by groups such as trade unions over the weekend in a bid to protect businesses.
The Louvre, Orsay, and Picasso museums have been closed, and landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe have been guarded amid concerns raised by some officers, who told French media they are not trained to deal with such large crowds.
At least 135 people have been arrested today, with many detained found carrying fireworks, ball bearings, and various items to be used as weapons.
Nearly 800 protests comprising over 400,000 people were planned across France today alone, 110,000 of which marched in Paris, with the unravelling swiftly beginning as individuals wearing hoods and face coverings kicked off.
Grenades were launched, to which riot gear-clad police responded with tear gas.
Cops later turned water hoses on the gangs to disperse them.
Chaotic scenes unfolded even in protest-banned zones, such as the Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux, despite a city-wide shutdown and public transport cancellations.
Police ordered the dispersal of several hundred people in Nice after they gathered at Place Masséna, where demonstrations were also prohibited.
Trade unions have criticised the protest bans, arguing that they violate freedoms of expression.
The crisis comes as centrist Macron enters the final stretch of his presidency.
His second term, which began on May 14, 2022, is scheduled to end on May 13, 2027.
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