French Security: 70,000 Officers Guard Streets Amid Cost-of-Living Protests

French authorities deployed a massive security force on Saturday to manage the second consecutive weekend of nationwide demonstrations over high living costs. The operation aimed to prevent a recurrence of the unrest seen the previous week, which drew more than half a million participants across the country.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that 135 individuals were detained during the day. Police confiscated a variety of items from the crowd, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, improvised weapons, airsoft guns, and a katana. Nuñez stated that no major incidents had occurred up to that point in the day.

The government mobilized up to 70,000 officers for the event. These ground forces were supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. The scale of the deployment reflected the high expectations for turnout following the previous weekend's large-scale marches.

In Lyon, where demonstrations were officially banned, approximately 150 protesters attempted to block a road near the city center. Police used tear gas to disperse the group. A 21-year-old student speaking to Agence France-Presse noted the rapid response of the officers. "They come and disperse marches before they even form," the student said.

In Orleans, thousands of people marched against a congress of Marine Le Pen's National Rally party. Le Pen is using the event to launch her presidential bid, with elections scheduled for six months from now. Surveys indicate she is currently the strongest contender. Marchers chanted slogans targeting both Le Pen and President Emmanuel Macron, demanding his resignation and her imprisonment. Police counted 11,000 participants, while organizers claimed the number reached 26,000. The protest, called by about 50 groups including unions and student organizations, ended peacefully in the early afternoon.

In Paris, authorities described the atmosphere as calm. Hundreds gathered at the Porte d'Italie for the city's only authorized march. Police had moved the event from the Bastille area to this southeastern location at the last minute. Murielle Guilbert, a union representative, called the relocation "scandalous" because it prevented protesters from demonstrating in their preferred location. She added that wages have not risen to the level they should. A student named Lucas told CBS Saturday Morning that it was "normal for people to be angry."

The protests have disrupted daily life in the capital. Major museums remain closed, and many businesses have boarded up their windows. Art Basel opened on Friday but cancelled its weekend program. The first NFL game in France, featuring the New Orleans Saints, remains scheduled for Sunday, though some venues were shut on Saturday. A soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais originally planned for Sunday was moved to Monday night.

Around 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend's unrest. The current wave of protests began last month when high school students in the southeast of Paris demonstrated for better conditions. The movement has since widened to include demands for relief from rising costs. The Yellow Vests, a group that emerged about eight years ago, plan to hold rallies and a sit-in outside parliament on Oct. 31. They are condemning what they describe as an "authoritarian drift" by the government.

Similar unrest has appeared in other European nations. Italy sent additional soldiers to Milan following clashes and looting a week earlier. Premier Giorgia Meloni announced tougher penalties for minors, who police said made up a large portion of the violent crowd. In Tirana, Albania, riot police used water cannons on students demanding lower tuition fees and an end to corruption in education. Thousands of retirees marched in Madrid over pension issues, and a housing protest was expected in Lisbon.