France deploys 70,000 police for second protest weekend

French authorities expanded their security presence this weekend to prevent a recurrence of the violence seen in the previous week's nationwide demonstrations over living costs.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that 135 people were arrested during Saturday's protests. Police seized various items from demonstrators, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, improvised weapons, a katana, and airsoft guns. Nuñez stated that no major incidents had occurred in the country up to that point.

The government deployed up to 70,000 officers to guard major cities. These forces were supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons. The aim of the heavy security presence was to manage the large turnout expected, given that more than half a million people participated in the previous week's marches.

In Lyon, where demonstrations had been officially banned, police used tear gas to disperse about 150 protesters who tried to block a road near the city center. A 21-year-old student who spoke to Agence France-Presse described the police tactics as highly mobile, noting that officers would disperse groups before they could fully form.

Protests in Orléans targeted both President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen of the National Rally party. Le Pen is using a party congress in the city to launch her bid for the presidency, with elections scheduled in six months. Demonstrators chanted slogans demanding Macron's resignation and Le Pen's imprisonment. Police counted 11,000 participants, while organizers claimed the number was 26,000. The march ended peacefully in the early afternoon.

Paris authorities moved the city's only authorized march from the Bastille to the Porte d'Italie at the last minute. Union organizers accepted the change reluctantly. Murielle Guilbert, a union representative, called the decision scandalous, arguing that Macron had barred protesters from demonstrating where they wished. She noted that wages have not risen to the expected level. A student named Lucas told CBS Saturday Morning that it was normal for people to be angry given the current economic conditions.

The unrest has disrupted daily life in the capital. Major museums are closed, and many businesses have boarded up their windows. Art Basel opened for a single day on Friday, with organizers canceling the weekend program. The first NFL game in France, involving the New Orleans Saints, remains scheduled for Sunday, though some related venues were closed on Saturday. A soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais originally set for Sunday has been moved to Monday night.

Approximately 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend's protests. The movement began last month when high school students in southeast Paris protested for better conditions. It widened as demands for relief from rising living costs spread. The Yellow Vests, a group that emerged about eight years ago, plan further demonstrations on October 31. They intend to hold rallies and a sit-in outside parliament and city halls, condemning what they describe as the government's authoritarian drift.

Unrest has also spread to other parts of Europe. Italy sent additional soldiers to Milan following looting and clashes. 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 student protesters demanding lower tuition and an end to corruption in education. Thousands of retirees marched in Madrid over pensions, and a housing protest was expected in Lisbon.