France deploys 70,000 police for national school marches

Police clashed with marchers at the end of routes in Paris and five other cities, forcing officers to use teargas and water cannon. The government reported 135 arrests nationwide during the demonstrations.

Crowds gathered in cities across France on Saturday to support high school students demanding more teachers and repairs to aging buildings. In Paris, officials estimated that 110,000 people marched along the eastern edge of the city. Nationally, the government placed the total number of marchers at 400,000. Trade unions claimed the figure reached 800,000.

The protests began in mid-September when students aged 15 to 18 complained about staff shortages, leaking roofs, and overcrowded classrooms. The movement has expanded to include trade unions, teachers, and parents. Some demonstrators wore yellow vests, a reference to the anti-government protests of 2018 and 2019.

Officials deployed more than 70,000 police officers for the event. Many shops boarded up their windows and several museums closed their doors. The government had feared a repeat of the previous Saturday, when public buildings were burned and at least 2,700 people were arrested during one of the most violent days of unrest in years.

Laurent Nunez, the interior minister, confirmed the 135 arrests. He stated that officers confiscated various weapons from the crowd. The list included metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, improvised weapons, a katana sword, and airsoft weapons.

Tensions peaked in Paris at Porte de Vincennes, where groups of masked men threw glass bottles and stones at police. Officers responded with stun grenades and fire. Similar clashes occurred in Marseille, where bin fires were lit. Teargas was also fired in Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, and Toulouse to keep protesters out of city centers.

Protesters criticized President Emmanuel Macron for banning non-union demonstrations and keeping crowds away from city centers. Nadège, a 43-year-old communications worker, said she was teargassed during a peaceful demo the prior weekend. She stated, "I'm out again peacefully today to support everyone who is brave enough to demonstrate." Jérôme Rodrigues, a leader from the 2018 yellow vest movement, predicted that demonstrations would continue every weekend.

In Orléans, thousands shouted slogans against Marine Le Pen and Macron. The crowd chanted, "Macron, resign. Le Pen in prison." Police investigations are currently underway after reports that children and protesters were injured by explosive police weaponry.