Fresh demonstrations against the rising cost of living began in a largely peaceful atmosphere across France on Saturday, with protesters calling for better pay and a better future as authorities mounted a major security operation to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s violence.
Police arrested 135 people by midday and fired tear gas during a confrontation in Lyon, but Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said there had been “no major incident” at that stage.
Around 70,000 police and other security personnel were deployed nationwide, backed by armoured vehicles, helicopters and water cannon.
“We will not tolerate any violence or any disturbance of public order,” Nunez said.
In Paris, the main march got under way in a calm and festive atmosphere, with demonstrators keen to put their demands at the centre of attention.
Claire, a 26-year-old nurse who declined to give her surname, said she had come to express her hopes for change.
“Not everyone is out to smash things up. Some of us are simply here to say we disagree and that we just want a better future.”
The demonstrations come amid growing pressure on household budgets, with inflation – particularly fuel prices – rising sharply since the start of the Middle East war in February.
But government restrictions on demonstrations have become a further source of anger, with unions and other groups accusing the authorities of undermining the right to protest.
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France mobilises 70,000 police and gendarmes for Saturday protests
Police move quickly as unions challenge restrictions
After being caught off guard by last weekend’s unrest, police adopted a more mobile approach on Saturday, intervening quickly to disperse some gatherings.
“The police are really mobile... They come and disperse marches before they even form,” a 21-year-old student in Lyon told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
An AFP journalist saw officers fire tear gas at around 150 protesters who had tried to block a road near the city centre.
Nunez said police had confiscated items including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, improvised weapons, a katana sword and airsoft weapons.
“These seizures clearly demonstrate the determination of certain far-left and radical left-wing groups to turn a number of demonstrations violent,” he said.
President Emmanuel Macron has blamed “ultra-left” groups seeking to “bring down the republic” for the worst of the previous weekend’s violence, when public buildings were vandalised and hundreds of shops looted.
Macron promises tough punishments for rioters during nationwide day of action
The government’s decision to ban demonstrations not led by unions has drawn strong criticism. Unions reluctantly accepted restrictions keeping marches away from central Paris, Marseille and other cities, while joining other groups in warning of an “authoritarian drift”.
In Paris, police changed the main march’s route at the last minute, moving it from the city centre to the southern edge of the capital.
Murielle Guilbert of the Solidaires trade union said the ban on non-union protests was “outrageous”.
“We’re here because there is obvious public anger” over low salaries, she said.
For many taking part, the march was an opportunity to voice frustrations that have built up over years.
Aurore, 35, said that “people need to understand that the anger is real. We’ve been walked all over for 10 years.”
Ynyane, a 19-year-old wearing a Dragonball Z costume, said: “Taxes are a bit too high, and I have to support people who are struggling.”
Paris museums close and shops board up ahead of fresh protests
Shops shut as political tensions build
Across Paris, many retailers boarded up their windows or closed their doors, fearing further looting on the margins of the demonstrations.
The Louvre and Musée d’Orsay also closed for the day.
Around 2,700 people were arrested following last weekend’s violence. Retail industry representatives said damage and losses suffered by shopkeepers ran into hundreds of millions of dollars.
The protests are unfolding six months before a presidential election, sharpening the political stakes for Macron’s government. The president cannot stand for another term, while far-right leader Marine Le Pen leads in opinion polls.
Le Pen’s National Rally held a congress in Orléans on Saturday to launch her presidential campaign, drawing a large counter-demonstration.
Thousands marched through the city chanting anti-fascist slogans and directing their anger at both Le Pen and Macron.
“Macron resign. Le Pen in prison,” protesters shouted.
Police put attendance at 11,000, while organisers said 26,000 people took part.
In Paris, far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon joined the march and predicted that the mobilisation would continue.
Macron “is going to understand that this is going to repeat itself every week”, he said.
The Yellow Vests movement, which organised disruptive protests against Macron eight years ago, has called for further demonstrations on 31 October in defence of “the freedom to protest”.
France is also part of a wider wave of demonstrations across Europe. Protests in Italy, Belgium, Spain and Portugal have focused on different demands, with some shared concerns over inflation and education. Italy has mobilised 500 troops to Milan following street violence there.
(with newswires)