France saw yet another wave of protests this weekend, with some 70,000 officers positioned across the country to prevent a repeat of the kind of violence and riots that hit the nation last week.
Demonstrations remained largely peaceful today, but some cities saw clashes, with police deploying water cannon and tear gas. At least 400,000 people protested across France, 110,000 of these in Paris, the interior ministry said. At least 1,000 people were detained, authorities said.
Last week’s violence followed weeks of protests over education, dismal job prospects and the cost of living. Initially peaceful and attended mostly by students, the demonstrations quickly turned into the worst wave of deadly, nationwide violence in years.
Police fired tear gas into crowds and fought running battles with black-clad, hooded rioters who set fires and broke into thousands of shops and government buildings. More than 2,000 people were arrested, with at least two deaths and reports of serious injuries.
This week, curfews were imposed in some cities to help maintain calm. Some 70,000 police officers will be have been deployed across the country over the weekend, according to the interior ministry. Specialist SWAT units, helicopters, armored vehicles, police dogs and water cannons will all be part of the operation.
