France interior ministry counts 980 arrests after Saturday protest clashes

French police arrested 980 people on Saturday as nationwide protests turned violent in several cities. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the count late in the day, noting that the number would continue to increase. Two individuals sustained serious injuries during the demonstrations, one in Toulouse and the other in Clermont-Ferrand. The ministry estimated that 410,000 people participated in the marches. Trade unions claimed the turnout reached approximately 800,000. Around 70,000 police officers were deployed to maintain order.

The unrest followed a week of intense disorder that marked some of the worst scenes in modern French history. Last weekend, roughly 550,000 people protested rising fuel prices and high living costs. That event resulted in more than 2,500 arrests and damage to over 2,000 businesses. Chambers of Commerce and Industry estimated the financial impact in the hundreds of millions of euros. Approximately 1,000 officers were injured, including one demonstrator who lost a hand to a crowd-control grenade.

President Emmanuel Macron issued a decree earlier in the week restricting demonstrations to those organized by recognized trade unions. Fast-track court hearings have jailed hundreds of individuals for vandalism, arson, and looting since then. Authorities aimed to prevent this week's protests from slipping into similar chaos. Restrictions were imposed in several cities to manage the crowds.

Daytime marches in Paris began peacefully near Porte d'Italie and moved toward Porte de Vincennes. Trouble emerged at the end of the route. Police deployed an elite unit typically assigned to organized crime and counter-terrorism. Protesters constructed makeshift barricades and threw objects at officers. Officers charged groups of masked youths who smashed windows at a car dealership. Nuñez said several thousand radical activists gathered at the rear of the march, including about 500 identified rioters.

Violence spread to other major cities. In Marseille, demonstrators set rubbish bins on fire and blocked streets with metal sheets. Barricades were also set ablaze. In Bordeaux, people tore boards off a shop. In Lyon, police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd in an area declared off-limits by the local prefecture. One student protester told the BBC that about 150 people were present and visibility was poor due to tear gas.

Protesters expressed frustration over living conditions and school standards. A 26-year-old woman in Paris named Zelie told the BBC that people are suffering a lot and that the situation has been too much. Two masked teenagers said their generation feels abandoned by the government. One teen admitted looting was not good but blamed poverty and police violence, stating the protests would end when demands were met. Separately, 13,000 people rallied peacefully in Orléans against the National Rally party.

Unrest extended beyond France's borders. Riot police in Tirana, Albania, fired tear gas at anti-government demonstrators. Clashes were reported in Brussels. In Milan, hundreds of soldiers and police prevented protesters from gathering to avoid a repeat of the previous week's violence. Presidential elections are scheduled in six months. Leading political contenders have already blamed Macron and his ministers for the instability.