French police deploy tear gas as protests enter third weekend
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Riot police used tear gas in Lyon and Toulouse and charged demonstrators in Paris as France's third weekend of anti-government protests continued, with authorities warning of possible unrest on Halloween.
Police forces intervened in several French cities on Saturday evening as nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living entered their third weekend. Riot police charged small groups of rioters at the end of a march in Paris and fired tear-gas canisters in Lyon and Toulouse, while tensions in Marseille subsided after night fell.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters that security forces had "held their ground and protected city centers" and that police had faced "a great deal of violence." He added that authorities were preparing for possible scattered unrest later in the evening, citing calls for insurrection on Halloween night. "The day is not over. We are ready for those looking for a fight tonight, and we will respond firmly," Nunez said.
The protests, which began in September with student groups and later attracted trade unions and a smaller contingent of Yellow Vest participants, focus on rising living costs, fuel prices and inflation. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon led the Paris demonstration, while a ban on a march between the Nation and Bastille squares was upheld by France's top administrative court, prompting organizers to use an alternative route along the city’s eastern boulevards.
According to the Interior Ministry, turnout fell to about 320,000 nationwide, including 70,000 in Paris, compared with higher numbers in previous weeks. The ministry said "radical elements" attempting to break away from the marches in cities such as Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and Marseille were stopped by security forces, and that checks at railway stations uncovered objects that could be used as weapons.
Authorities warned that Halloween masks could be used to conceal identities and noted that existing laws permit police to prohibit face coverings when public order is threatened. The unrest comes as France faces fiscal pressure, with Fitch recently shifting its outlook on French debt to negative and public debt approaching 120% of GDP.