PARIS, October 18. /TASS/. As many as 2,397 people were detained during Saturday’s protests and riots across France, AFP reported, citing the country’s Interior Ministry.
According to the ministry, 997 law enforcement officers were hurt, with seven of them receiving serious injuries.
A series of mass protests against rising fuel prices and the declining purchasing power of the population took place all over France on October 17. According to the organizers, some 800,000 people took part in the protests. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry put the number of protesters at 550,000. In a number of cities, the protests have escalated into riots and clashes with police. According to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, more than 2,000 protesters have been detained across the country. He pledged that the authorities will continue persecuting plunders and looters.