France Holds Nationwide Protests a Week After Riots, Police Count 110,000

France is holding nationwide protests on 24 October, one week after the previous demonstrations descended into rioting. According to the latest police figures, 110,000 people have turned out, the same number as last weekend. Police in Paris reported that things were calm so far.

Background

Last weekend's riots led to curfews. Yesterday, a shooting on the outskirts of Paris, described as an alleged racist mass shooting, added to the tension. These events fed considerable anxiety and careful preparation ahead of today's rallies.

Preparations and how the day has unfolded

Intelligence reports had forecast as many as 500,000 participants nationwide and suggested that ultra-left agitators were plotting online to repeat the riots. In Paris, museums are closed and many businesses shut for the day. Police said they had seized weapons and gas masks in a morning crackdown.

According to France 24, the focus this time is on the demonstrators' grievances rather than the looting and violence that overshadowed the previous event. In several cities there was confusion over last-minute changes to permitted protest routes, and tear gas was fired in some of them. In Paris the route was changed twice to keep it farther from the city centre.

France 24 discussed the situation with Fatima Khallouk, a spokesperson for the French Communist Party (PCF) and fourth deputy mayor of Alfortville.