France: Hundreds of Thousands Join Protests as Clashes Erupt in Several Cities
On Saturday, 410,000 people joined demonstrations across France over purchasing power and public services, according to the Interior Ministry. Clashes broke out in several cities, and police fired tear gas at protesters.
Demonstrations took place across France on Saturday, with participants calling for action on purchasing power and for the defence of public services. According to figures the French Interior Ministry gave to the news agency AFP, 410,000 people took part nationwide, including 110,000 in the capital, Paris.
Turnout
Fewer people took to the streets than the week before, when the ministry counted 550,000 participants. The union that organised the authorised events gave much higher figures: it said 800,000 people demonstrated across the country, with 250,000 of them in Paris. The gap between the government's count and the organisers' count is significant, because each side estimates the size of the rallies by its own method.
Clashes in the cities
During the protests on Saturday, clashes broke out in several French cities, including Paris, Lyon, Rennes, Nantes, Bordeaux, Nice and Marseille. Police fired tear gas at demonstrators. The source does not say how many people were injured or detained in the clashes.
The continuing protests show that purchasing power and public services remain issues that bring large numbers of people onto the streets in France. After two consecutive Saturdays of rallies drawing hundreds of thousands of people, the source gives no information about what steps may follow.
