Riot police confront protesters in Lyon as nationwide strike spreads across France
Police deployed water cannons and armored units in Lyon while demonstrations over public-sector cuts and living-cost pressures continued in several French cities.
Police in Lyon used water cannons and force after protests against rising living costs and a high-school student movement turned violent, with fires reported on the streets. Officers in black helmets and protective gear charged crowds, while some demonstrators wore gas masks and safety glasses in anticipation of tear-gas deployment.
The French Interior Ministry said the situation remained tense but was being kept under control. It noted that "several violent acts have been committed as part of the high school student movement" and cited incidents in Toulouse, where fireworks sparked a fire that damaged a student services office, and in Rennes, Pau and Orléans, where officers were pelted with metal objects.
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets nationwide, displaying signs that criticize the National Rally party and raise concerns about climate change and artificial intelligence, alongside Palestinian flags.
President Emmanuel Macron, whose term ends in May, convened a defence and security meeting ahead of the unrest. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that 70,000 police officers, supported by armored vehicles, drones and helicopters, would be deployed on Thursday.
Human-rights groups have previously condemned police tactics after a 15-year-old was injured by a sting-ball grenade and a 14-year-old suffered a jaw fracture in similar incidents. An investigation is ongoing into the death of a 59-year-old man who collapsed after police tear-gassed an area of Paris.