Clashes break out in Paris amid protests over the cost of living — Dawn
Clashes broke out in Paris, France, on November 7 between police and some participants in a protest against the rising cost of living. Law enforcement used tear gas at the end of a march at Place de la Nation after some people began throwing objects and homemade fireworks at security forces, Dawn reports.
According to France’s Interior Ministry, 146,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country, including 46,000 in the capital. Trade unions provided higher estimates: 250,000 protesters across France and 75,000 in Paris. The number of participants was lower than during the previous three weekends, while on Thursday, according to authorities, 575,000 people joined a union action. The unions then said there were 1.6 million participants.
Clashes at Place de la Nation
Police said that a group of about 200 aggressive individuals attacked law enforcement officers as they were detaining a man for setting a rubbish bin on fire. The union march followed its traditional route from Place de la République to Place de la Nation, where the clashes occurred.
About 70,000 security personnel were deployed across the country to maintain order. Heightened measures were introduced after mass protests on October 17 escalated into France’s worst unrest in recent years.
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Banned rally and a new strike
The Yellow Vests movement called for a separate demonstration at Place de la Concorde near the Élysée Palace and the lower house of parliament. Authorities banned the event, and a large police presence prevented its participants from approaching the square. According to an AFP correspondent, police surrounded about 100 people; those detained included movement coordinator Benjamin Ball and Yellow Vests spokesperson Azelma Sigot.
In Lyon, police used tear gas to disperse several hundred people who blocked a road in the city centre during an unauthorized gathering. The wave of protests began in late September with a movement of high school students dissatisfied with conditions at their educational institutions. University students joined them. Student and teachers’ groups also called for a new strike on Tuesday, demanding increased spending on education.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is due to meet union representatives and the employers’ federation on Monday to discuss wages and purchasing power.
