Some 410,000 protesters have come out to protest, once again, throughout France in the framework of social protests and against the Government in the second consecutive weekend of mass mobilizations. However, this time, with fewer riots than seven days ago.
The Ministry of the Interior has specified the total number of protesters in France, of which 110,000 would correspond to Paris, while the main French union estimates the number of people who have supported the calls at almost 800,000, including 250,000 in Paris. These figures represent a slight decrease compared to the 550,000 mobilized reported last weekend by the Ministry of the Interior.
As for those detained, the latest assessment carried out by the Ministry of the Interior was almost 1,000 people. The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Núñez, warned that this number was going to increase “significantly.” Núñez also highlighted that the marches had developed “well.”
With all this, despite the fact that this weekend’s demonstrations have been calmer than those of last week, city councils have intensified preparations to reduce the risks of new destruction. In Paris, for example, municipal services are working to remove trash cans, glass containers, bulky objects and other items that could be used as throwing or incendiary material.
Peaceful protests with more than 100 arrests
The protests have largely taken place peacefully, although there have once again been riots and clashes between protesters and police. In total, across France, there have been 135 arrests as of 1:00 p.m. These arrests represent an improvement compared to the 264 registered at the same time last Saturday. The French Minister of the Interior, Laurent Núñez, explained that “a large part of the arrests are related to controls and the discovery of material intended to be used as a weapon.” Outside Paris, massive demonstrations have been recorded in cities such as Lille, Nice, Marseille, Rennes and Lyon.
In addition, the Ministry of the Interior has reported the seizure of potentially dangerous objects, including mortars or petanque balls, during the controls established at the entrances and surroundings of the demonstrations. For their part, the security forces maintain surveillance, inspection and intelligence tasks to prevent altercations and guarantee compliance with the prohibitions.
One of the cities where there has been the most police tension has been Lyon. This French town has witnessed the first moments of tension of the day between protesters and law enforcement, who have resorted to tear gas to disperse several groups of people. All this after the city suffered damage to more than 150 establishments last Saturday.
It is because of last week’s experience that local authorities have recommended merchants remove waste, terraces and furniture before noon, while numerous establishments have reinforced their facades due to fear of new acts of vandalism or looting. A device that seeks to prevent this new day of protests from leading to an escalation of violence like that recorded the previous week.
