France allocates 70,000 officers for nationwide school protest

The French government committed a large share of its security budget to public order this Saturday as labor groups and students took to the streets. Authorities deployed more than 70,000 police officers to manage the demonstrations, a logistical effort that required boarding up shops and closing museums across major cities.

Government estimates placed the number of marchers at 400,000 nationwide. Trade unions disputed that figure, claiming the turnout was double. In Paris, officials counted at least 110,000 people along the eastern edge of the city. The Interior Ministry reported 135 arrests across the country. Confiscated items included metal balls, lead pellets, slingshots, and a katana sword.

President Emmanuel Macron faces political pressure in his final months of office. The crisis stems from student protests that began in mid-September over staff shortages and crumbling infrastructure. The movement has expanded to include teachers, parents, and trade unions. Some demonstrators wore yellow vests, linking the current unrest to the 2018 and 2019 anti-government protests.

Jérôme Rodrigues, a prominent figure from the 2018 movement, stated that the government is afraid and pushing demonstrators to the edge of the city. He predicted that demonstrations would continue every weekend. A 60-year-old retired banking consultant named Pierre marched for his eight-year-old granddaughter, citing a government refusal to listen to demands. A 40-year-old charity worker from north Paris carried a sign that read Free Hugs and wore old clothes in preparation for potential teargas.

Tensions escalated at Porte de Vincennes in Paris. Masked men threw glass bottles and stones at officers. Police responded with teargas, water cannon, and stun grenades. Similar clashes occurred in Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, Toulouse, and Marseille. In Orléans, protesters shouted slogans against both Macron and Marine Le Pen, the leading candidate for next year's presidential election. Police investigations are underway regarding injuries sustained by children and protesters from explosive weapons.

The previous Saturday saw one of the most violent days of unrest in recent years. Public buildings burned and hundreds of shops were destroyed. At least 2,700 people were arrested during that weekend. The government had feared a repeat of those events, which drove the decision to deploy such a large police presence this week. The interior minister confirmed that weapons were confiscated during the Saturday marches.