Police in Lyon use tear gas against protesters — Dawn

In France, police used tear gas against protesters in Lyon, where about 150 people briefly blocked a road near the city center. Demonstrations in this part of Lyon were banned. The actions took place amid nationwide protests over the high cost of living, Dawn reports.

France’s Interior Ministry mobilized 70,000 security personnel due to the high risk of violence. Law enforcement officers prepared riot-control equipment in areas where clashes and looting occurred last weekend. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said authorities would not allow disorder and reported calls for violence and looting that were circulating on social media.

Closed museums and shuttered shops

In Paris, a number of shops closed for the day, and their storefronts were covered with wooden boards. Near Bastille Square, one clothing store removed goods from its shelves, while a restaurant protected its facade with boards. The Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay were closed.

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At the last minute, police ordered a trade union march to be moved from the Bastille area to Porte d’Italie on the southern outskirts of the capital. The unions agreed reluctantly, while the Yellow Vests movement said it would not comply with the demand. In Marseille, authorities initially banned all protests but allowed a trade union demonstration as an exception.

Tensions ahead of the elections

An additional factor of tension was the congress of the National Rally party of far-right politician Marine Le Pen in Orléans. The event was meant to launch her campaign ahead of the French presidential election, due to take place in six months. Thousands of people marched with anti-fascist slogans, also protesting against President Emmanuel Macron.

During protests last weekend, clashes with police occurred on the fringes of the demonstrations, public buildings were damaged, and hundreds of shops were looted. According to authorities, about 2,700 people were detained, and courts have already imprisoned 217 people, half of whom committed offenses for the first time. Amnesty International criticized the restrictions on protests, saying they threatened the right to peaceful assembly. Human Rights Watch representative Eva Cosse stressed that police must both ensure the safe conduct of peaceful protests and protect the public from violence.