France reports 1,314 detentions and 53 injured officers after Saturday protests

Turnout figures diverge

Demonstrators took to the streets across France on Saturday, 24 October, for the second weekend running, protesting the high cost of living, defending public services and backing high school students. The Interior ministry counted 410,000 people nationwide, down from the 550,000 it reported the previous weekend. The CGT union put the total at almost 800,000, while organisers claimed twice the government figure. In Paris, police counted 110,000 marchers and the CGT said 250,000, and Europa Press reported a range of 110,000 to 250,000 for the capital. Most Paris marchers were high school and university students and union members, many of them wearing yellow vests.

Paris march ends in clashes

Authorities ordered a route change that moved the Paris march away from the centre toward the city's outskirts, a decision that drew criticism. The procession ran from the Porte d'Italie to the Porte de Vincennes, where police used tear gas and a water cannon to disperse crowds at the end of the route. The Paris police prefecture spokeswoman, Hélène Denéchère, confirmed the looting of a shop and damage to a car dealership, and said about 500 "troublemakers" were present at the end of the march. She also acknowledged that the authorities had underestimated the number of people seeking confrontation at the previous protest. By Sunday the prefecture reported 142 people detained in Paris, 126 of them in police custody.

Detentions rise through the day

Interior figures climbed as the day went on. Europa Press reported 135 arrests nationwide by 13:00. That evening, Interior minister Laurent Núñez put detentions at about 1,000 and said the number would rise, noting that 385 people had been detained at the same point on 17 October. On Sunday the Interior ministry issued a provisional national tally of 1,314 detentions, 75 firefighter interventions to tackle fires, 53 injured security force members and 24 looted shops. The ministry said many investigations had already been opened but gave no further details, including on the number of injured protesters. The night was calm, according to the ministry.

Violence beyond Paris

Clashes also spread to Marseille, Toulouse, Nice and Tours, according to Europa Press. In Lyon about 10,000 people gathered despite a police ban covering a wide perimeter of the city. In Bordeaux the procession reached the place de la Bourse, where police fired tear gas and protesters threw firecrackers, and the prefecture said hostile groups were throwing objects and stones and building barricades. ANSA also reported a protester seriously injured in a hand in Toulouse. In Orléans police counted 11,000 people and organisers 29,000, with no incidents.

Policing and the minister's account

Around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed, 20% more than on 17 October. Núñez said the marches passed without incident and warned that radical groups had split from authorised demonstrations to commit violence. He described the level of violence the security forces faced as extremely high and said that two people suffered serious injuries during police operations, according to Le Monde. He also said that no direct attacks on public buildings had occurred.