135 Detained: French Police Deploy 70,000 Officers for Second Protest Weekend

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that 135 people were arrested on Saturday as French police fired tear gas at demonstrators in several major cities. The security operation involved a deployment of up to 70,000 officers, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons, in an effort to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend's chaos. Nuñez stated that authorities had seized various weapons during the arrests, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, improvised weapons, a katana, and airsoft guns. He reported that no major incidents had occurred nationally by the time of his briefing.

The protests mark the second consecutive weekend of nationwide demonstrations against the high cost of living. The previous week saw more than half a million participants take to the streets. This surge in activity follows the start of the unrest last month, when high school students in the southeast of Paris began demonstrating for better conditions. The movement has since broadened as citizens demanded relief from rising living expenses.

In Lyon, where local authorities had banned demonstrations, approximately 150 protesters attempted to block a road near the city center. Police dispersed the group using tear gas. A 21-year-old student speaking to Agence France-Presse described the police presence as highly mobile. The student noted that officers often dispersed marches before they had fully formed.

In Orleans, thousands of people marched against a congress hosted by Marine Le Pen's National Rally party. Le Pen is using the event to launch her bid to succeed President Emmanuel Macron. With elections six months away, surveys indicate Le Pen is currently the strongest candidate to win. Demonstrators chanted slogans targeting both political leaders, demanding that Macron resign and Le Pen go to prison. Police counted 11,000 participants in the march, while organizers claimed the number reached 26,000. Approximately 50 groups, including unions, left-wing parties, and student organizations, had called for the protest. French media reported the event ended peacefully early in the afternoon, with the party congress expected to continue through Sunday.

In Paris, authorities described the mood as calm during the city's only authorized march, which took place at the Porte d'Italie. Police moved the demonstration from the Bastille to this more remote southeastern location at the last minute. Union representative Murielle Guilbert called the relocation scandalous, arguing that Macron had barred protesters from demonstrating where they wished. She added that wages have still not risen to the level they should. A student named Lucas told CBS Saturday Morning that it was normal for people to be angry.

The unrest has disrupted daily life and commercial activity in the capital. Major museums are closed, and many businesses have boarded up their windows. Art Basel opened Friday for a single day, with organizers cancelling the weekend program. The first NFL game in France between the New Orleans Saints and another team remains scheduled for Sunday, though some related venues were shut Saturday. A soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, originally planned for Sunday, has been moved to Monday night. Around 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend of protests.

The Yellow Vests, a movement that emerged about eight years ago to stage disruptive protests against Macron, announced plans for more demonstrations on October 31. They intend to hold rallies and a sit-in outside parliament and city halls, condemning the government's authoritarian drift. Unrest has also spread to other parts of Europe. Italy sent additional soldiers to Milan after looting and clashes a week earlier, and Premier Giorgia Meloni announced tougher penalties for minors, who police said made up much of the violent crowd. In Tirana, Albania, riot police used water cannons on student protesters demanding lower tuition and an end to corruption in education. Thousands of retirees marched in Madrid over pensions, and a housing protest was expected in Lisbon.