Nearly 1,000 arrested in France as over 400,000 march over living costs and school funding

Police in France made nearly 1,000 arrests on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of people joined a fresh day of protests over the cost of living and education funding, a week after demonstrations in several cities descended into rioting and looting.

Turnout and clashes

The Interior Ministry put nationwide turnout at 410,000, down from about 550,000 a week earlier, while the CGT union, which helped organise some of the marches, estimated close to 800,000. In Paris, the ministry counted 110,000 marchers and the CGT 250,000, ABC News reported.

Most marches passed off peacefully, but police fired tear gas in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux, and used water cannon in Nice and Nantes. In Paris, trouble broke out near the end of the route in the east of the city, where masked protesters threw objects and fireworks at officers.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez blamed what he called an "extremely elevated level of violence" on black-clad far-left groups, and said two people had been seriously injured, Euronews reported. He said the arrest count was likely to rise. About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed, backed by helicopters and armoured vehicles, and Nunez said the heavier presence had prevented a repeat of the previous weekend's damage to shops.

How the movement grew

The protests began last month over staff shortages at a single high school south-east of Paris and spread nationwide. Students are demanding more money for schools and more teachers, while workers want relief from rising fuel and food prices.

President Emmanuel Macron met high school representatives on Friday. They said he promised changes to university admissions, but they called for protests to continue until concrete steps are announced. Unions and left-wing politicians also criticised police for moving the Paris route away from the city centre.

Why it matters

The unrest is a test for Macron in the final months of his presidency, with a successor due to be chosen in May. Political tension and budget worries have also pushed up France's borrowing costs. Indian students, professionals and tourists in France may see disruption to transport and public services in cities where marches continue.