France stations 70,000 officers as price protests return

French authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel across the country on Saturday to manage a second consecutive weekend of demonstrations against rising living costs. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that police had detained 135 individuals and confiscated a variety of weapons, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, improvised tools, a katana, and airsoft guns. Nuñez stated that no major incidents had occurred in the country up to that point.

The security deployment included support from helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. In Lyon, where demonstrations were prohibited, approximately 150 protesters attempted to block a road near the city center. Police responded with tear gas to disperse the group. A 21-year-old student speaking to Agence France-Presse described the police presence as "really mobile," noting that officers dispersed marches before they could fully form.

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 campaign to succeed President Emmanuel Macron in the elections scheduled for six months from now. Police counted 11,000 participants, while organizers claimed the number reached 26,000. About 50 groups, including unions and student organizations, called for the protest. Marchers chanted slogans targeting both political leaders, and French media reported the event ended peacefully early in the afternoon.

In Paris, authorities described the atmosphere at the Porte d'Italie as calm during the city's only authorized march. Police relocated the event from the Bastille to the southeastern edge of the city at the last minute. Murielle Guilbert, a union representative, called the decision "scandalous," arguing that wages had not yet recovered to the necessary level. A student named Lucas told CBS that it was normal for people to feel angry under the current conditions.

The unrest has disrupted daily life in the capital, with major museums closed and many businesses boarding up their windows. Art Basel opened for a single day on Friday before cancelling its weekend program. The New Orleans Saints game scheduled for Sunday remains on, though some related venues closed on Saturday. A soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, originally set for Sunday, was postponed to Monday night. Approximately 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend.

The protests originated last month when high school students in the southeast of Paris demanded better conditions. The movement expanded as citizens sought relief from high living costs. The Yellow Vests, a group active in protests against Macron for about eight years, announced plans for further demonstrations on Oct. 31. They intend to hold rallies and a sit-in outside parliament and city halls while condemning the government's "authoritarian drift."

Similar unrest appeared in other European cities. Italy deployed additional soldiers to Milan following looting and clashes, and Premier Giorgia Meloni announced stricter penalties for minors involved in the violence. In Tirana, Albania, riot police used water cannons on student protesters demanding lower tuition. Thousands of retirees marched in Madrid regarding pensions, and a housing protest was expected in Lisbon.