Politics · India Bureau
French police deploy tear gas as over 100,000 protest Macron policies
More than 100,000 demonstrators marched through Paris on Saturday to protest education funding cuts and rising living costs, with police deploying tear gas and water cannons as tensions escalated. The large-scale mobilization represents a significant challenge to President Emmanuel Macron's government.
LSN India ·
Parisian authorities estimated the Saturday turnout at 110,000 people, with demonstrators assembling despite official restrictions that limited the march route to the city's southeastern districts, away from central locations. The measure appeared aimed at containing the demonstration's impact on the capital's core areas.
Law enforcement agencies responded with forceful tactics across multiple French cities. Tear gas was deployed in Paris, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, and Strasbourg, while water cannons were used in Nice and Nantes, according to French media reports. The most significant confrontation occurred in Marseille, where officers fired tear gas during skirmishes involving several dozen people near the march's conclusion.
Paris prosecutors reported 64 arrests related to the demonstration, with 40 individuals placed in police custody. The detained included six minors. Officials stated that most arrests involved suspected weapons violations or suspected participation in groups preparing violent acts or property destruction. The unrest signals mounting public dissatisfaction with government policies on education and economic conditions as France grapples with cost-of-living pressures affecting households across the country.