French police arrested 135 people on Saturday as nationwide protests resumed across the country, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters.
Most arrests came after officers conducted preemptive searches of demonstrators, according to Reuters. Those taken into custody were allegedly carrying items that could be used as weapons, including fireworks and ball bearings. Nuñez did not say where all the arrests took place.
In Paris, where tens of thousands marched, police said they carried out more than 3,000 checks and arrested 65 people, the BBC reported.
“Violent individuals have no place in the marches,” the Paris Police Department said in a social media post. “The objective is clear: to prevent troublemakers from joining the procession, and to ensure the safety of the demonstrators.”
Central Paris took on the look of a city bracing for trouble, with shopkeepers boarding up storefronts, museums shutting their doors and more than 20 metro stations suspending service.
Clashes spread beyond the capital
Police fired tear gas to disperse crowds in Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille and Nice, according to Reuters. In Nice, officers also used a water cannon on demonstrators who refused to retreat. Marseille and Lyon saw clashes between police and hooded youths.
Roughly 70,000 police officers were deployed nationwide in an effort to prevent a repeat of the unrest seen in recent weeks, when cars were set ablaze and the city hall building in Limoges was set on fire. More than 2,700 people were arrested last weekend after earlier protests escalated into riots and looting.
What’s driving the protests
The demonstrations began weeks ago, led by high school and university students frustrated by teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school buildings. The movement broadened after major labor unions joined in, expanding the grievances to include opposition to the government’s austerity policies and concerns over wages, pensions and the cost of living.
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