980 arrests mark new wave of French protest unrest

France’s interior ministry reported 980 arrests on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in a new round of nationwide protests against the cost of living and school conditions.

Authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police officers to maintain order following a decree earlier in the week that restricted marches to those organized by recognized trade unions. The ministry estimated the turnout at 410,000, a figure significantly lower than the unions’ claim of 800,000 participants.

While daytime demonstrations remained largely peaceful, evening clashes erupted in several cities. Police in Paris used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds, deploying an elite unit typically assigned to counter-terrorism operations. In Marseille, protesters set barricades on fire and blocked streets with metal sheets. In Bordeaux, demonstrators tore boards from a shop.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that several thousand radical activists gathered at the rear of the Paris march. He identified around 500 individuals as rioters who threw projectiles and smashed windows at a car dealership. Nuñez noted that two people were seriously injured, one in Toulouse and one in Clermont-Ferrand, and said the arrest figure would likely rise.

The heavy security presence aimed to prevent a recurrence of the disorder seen a week earlier. Last Saturday, approximately 550,000 people demonstrated, leading to over 2,500 arrests and widespread looting. The Chambers of Commerce and Industry estimated that damage to more than 2,000 businesses would amount to hundreds of millions of euros. About 1,000 police officers were injured in that prior wave of unrest.

Protesters expressed frustration with government policies. A 26-year-old woman in Paris told the BBC that people were suffering and that the situation had become too much. Two masked teenagers in a separate group blamed poverty and police violence for the unrest, stating that the demonstrations would continue until their demands were met.

Unrest extended beyond France’s borders on Saturday. Riot police fired tear gas at anti-government demonstrators in Tirana, Albania, and clashes were reported in Brussels. In Milan, hundreds of soldiers and police prevented gatherings amid fears of a repeat of the previous week’s violence.

With presidential elections six months away, leading political contenders have begun to blame President Emmanuel Macron and his ministers for the escalating social tensions. The government has moved quickly to process cases, with hundreds of people jailed for vandalism, arson, and looting following fast-track court hearings in recent days.