Clashes at Cost-of-Living Protests in France, Around 1,000 Arrested as Tensions Spread from Paris to Marseille

Around 1,000 people have been arrested after violence on the final day of mass protests in France against the rising cost of living and the poor state of educational institutions. The events took place in various cities across the country on Saturday, October 24.

Although the protests began peacefully for most of the day, widespread clashes broke out towards the end. Police then used tear gas and water cannon to bring the situation under control.

According to the country's interior ministry, around 410,000 people took part in Saturday's protests. Trade unions, by contrast, claimed the number was around 800,000, nearly double the official figure.

To prevent any major violence and looting, the government deployed around 70,000 police officers. Despite that huge security operation, the spread of tensions late in the day could not be prevented.

In the capital, Paris, after a peaceful march ended, some masked protesters smashed the windows of a car dealership. Police then baton-charged and fired tear gas.

In Marseille, the country's second-largest city, protesters set up barricades in the streets and set fire to rubbish bins. In Bordeaux, obstacles were created in the same way, leaving a tense atmosphere in those cities.

In Lyon, police used tear gas grenades to disperse a crowd that had gathered in an area banned by the local administration. Tensions spread mainly in the large cities of Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said at least two people were seriously injured in the ongoing clashes. One of them is being treated in Toulouse in the south-west and the other in Clermont-Ferrand in central France.

In the previous week as well, there had been widespread protests in the country against rising prices and fuel costs. On that occasion, more than 2,500 people were arrested and damage worth hundreds of millions of euros was reported.

A French presidential election is due to be held within the next six months. Opposition political parties are blaming President Emmanuel Macron and his ministers directly for this situation, so the political pressure from the protests is also growing.

Although the French government allowed protests to be organised only through recognised trade unions, intense anger persists among the general public over the cost of living and government policy. Alongside France, similar public anger and protests were also reported that day in Albania's capital Tirana, Belgium's Brussels and Italy's Milan.