Clashes Erupt Again in France at Cost-of-Living Protests
Demonstrators and police clashed in Paris and other French cities on Saturday during protests against the high cost of living. Police used tear gas and water cannons, with 70,000 officers deployed.
Protests against the rising cost of living in France turned into clashes between demonstrators and police on Saturday, 24 October, in Paris and several other cities. Security forces used tear gas in the capital as well as in Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Montpellier and Nantes. The unrest comes a week after the previous weekend's protests descended into widespread rioting.
Turnout
Authorities estimate that 410,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide. The CGT trade union, which organised the protests, says the figure was 800,000. In Paris, between 110,000 and 250,000 people took to the streets.
Police response
Following the mass disorder of the previous weekend, the authorities deployed 70,000 police officers on Saturday to maintain order. The deployment had been announced ahead of the protests.
In Paris, fresh clashes broke out as demonstrators began to disperse, and police used tear gas and water cannons to contain what they described as hooligans.
In Lyon, where all demonstrations are banned, police used tear gas to disperse around 1,000 protesters.
In Nantes, several thousand demonstrators broke through police cordons to reach the city centre. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, while protesters threw various objects and bottles at the officers.
A water cannon was also used against protesters in Nice.
