In brief
Over 140,000 people joined demonstrations in France to protest soaring living costs. In Paris and Lyon, riot police used tear gas and confronted crowds, while Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned of readiness against rioters. The protests come as France prepares for a contentious presidential election and strained relations between far‑right and far‑left candidates.
On Saturday, more than 140,000 people marched across France, demanding lower prices and higher salaries, as riot police deployed tear gas in Paris and Lyon to control crowds.
The French Ministry of the Interior reported that 146,000 protesters gathered nationwide, including 46,000 in Paris, while labour unions claimed the total reached 250,000.
Despite a lower turnout than a few weeks earlier, police confronted demonstrators in the capital, charging them and using tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds.
A video posted by the CLPRESS news agency showed officers hurling tear gas and one police officer striking a protester with a baton.
Police also reported that a group of around 200 demonstrators attacked officers while arresting a man who had set fire to a rubbish bin in a Paris square.
In Lyon, authorities fired tear gas to disperse several hundred people blocking a road during an unauthorised gathering in the city centre.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez issued a warning that the authorities were “ready and waiting” for anyone engaging in rioting or looting, and 70,000 security personnel were mobilised across the country.
These demonstrations are part of a fourth consecutive weekend of protests in France, beginning in September over high school conditions and expanding to broader grievances over living standards.
Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler reported that workers from a variety of jobs attended the Saturday rallies, many of whom said it was crucial to protest the cost of living and support young people.
"I spoke to one railway worker who told me it was really important to be here today. He said not only was it important to protest against the cost of living, but that it was also important to support young people," Butler said.
She added that trade unions, weakened in recent years, felt they were gaining momentum and that many workers considered it their time to press the government for higher salaries and better facilities.
Police reports from the previous day's uprisings noted a cluster of 200 demonstrators attacking officers during an arrest in Paris, while the security response in Lyon targeted around several hundred people blocking a road.
Experts say the protests are a sign of deepening social frustration ahead of France’s presidential election in April, a contest that has seen rising tensions between far‑right and far‑left candidates.
While the government faces pressure to control inflation, the protests may shift the political discourse, as unions have begun calling for a more harmonious social contract to avert further unrest.
The demonstrations continue to be led primarily by students, yet people of all ages have joined in reflection of France’s worsening living standards.
Union leaders emphasize that the rallies are a vehicle to push the government for a higher cost of living and improved public services in the wider social fabric.
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