Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest the cost of living and government policies, with 70,000 police officers deployed as unrest appeared less severe than a week earlier.
In Paris, crowds marched peacefully, denouncing rising living costs and accusing President Emmanuel Macron of cutting public services while failing to tackle inequality. Some protesters chanted slogans against the state, police and far-right groups.
Clashes were reported in several cities. Police fired tear gas in Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lille and Nice, where officers also deployed a water cannon after protesters refused orders to retreat.
In Marseille and Lyon, confrontations broke out between police and hooded youths.
Protesters marched through Orléans on Saturday against France’s National Rally (RN) as the party held its congress in the city. Demonstrators said they opposed the party’s ideology, while stressing that they were not seeking to prevent the congress from taking place.
Local participants criticised the RN over its positions on immigration and social issues and called for solidarity and inclusion. The protest brought together residents and political activists from the area. Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella was re-elected as president of the National Rally for another four-year term.
The congress took place as opposition figures joined demonstrations against the party.
French police arrested 135 people around protests across the country by early Saturday afternoon, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. He added that 136 demonstrations had been recorded during the morning, compared with 264 at the same point last Saturday.
Around 35,000 protesters had been counted nationwide, down from 60,000 at the same time a week earlier. The figures came as authorities maintained a heightened security presence across major French cities.
Protesters marched through Orléans on Saturday as France’s National Rally held a party congress in the city. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure and Saint-Denis Mayor Bally Bagayoko were among those taking part in the demonstration.
Faure said the protesters opposed what he described as the normalisation of the far right and stressed that the rally was not aimed at preventing the congress from taking place. Associations, trade unions, NGOs and political parties joined the march, which organisers described as peaceful.
Demonstrators carried signs including “Racism is a crime” as they moved through the city. Faure also criticised proposals he said could lead to discriminatory legislation.
Police were deployed across Lyon on Saturday as shops boarded up their storefronts ahead of expected demonstrations. Security measures were stepped up in key areas of the city amid concerns over possible vandalism and disorder.
Elite units and mobile police squads were deployed alongside regular officers. The precautions follow violence and looting during protests the previous weekend. Recent demonstrations have been fuelled by concerns over rising living costs and pressure on public services.
Authorities say radical groups and looters have taken advantage of the unrest to trigger violence.
French security forces deployed across Paris on Saturday ahead of demonstrations that authorities fear could turn violent. Armoured vehicles, barricades and police officers were positioned near key sites, including roads leading to the presidential palace.
Soldiers from an anti-terrorism unit patrolled the Champs-Élysées, while police vans were stationed around the Arc de Triomphe. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez urged officers to remain “hyper-reactive” to potential violence and looting.
The heightened security follows unrest during protests the previous weekend. Recent demonstrations have been driven by concerns over living costs and pressure on public services.
The Louvre Museum and several other institutions in Paris closed on Saturday as the city prepared for expected demonstrations. A popular bike rental service also imposed restrictions on where users could ride.
Police were deployed across the capital, while shops boarded up storefronts as a precaution. Elite security units and heavily armed mobile squads were also positioned alongside regular police forces.
The protests have been driven by anger over rising living costs and pressure on public services. Authorities say radical groups and looters have exploited the wider unrest to trigger violence and disorder.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday as shops boarded up their storefronts ahead of expected demonstrations. France is deploying 70,000 officers nationwide in an effort to prevent a repeat of the violence and looting seen last weekend.
Elite security units and heavily armed mobile squads are joining regular police forces as authorities step up security. The protests have been fuelled by anger over rising living costs and pressure on public services.
Students, workers and trade unions have taken part in demonstrations across the country in recent weeks. Authorities say some radical groups and looters have used the unrest to trigger violence and disorder.
Shop owners along Paris’s Champs-Élysées boarded up storefronts on Friday ahead of another round of protests expected in the French capital on Saturday. Businesses installed wooden panels and metal barriers amid concerns over possible vandalism and looting.
The precautions follow unrest during demonstrations last weekend, which left many local businesses worried about further damage. One shop owner said fears of broken windows and property damage were also affecting trade and Paris’s image among visitors.
Residents said businesses had little choice but to protect their premises, while stressing that demonstrations should not result in damage to shops and livelihoods. The heightened security has left one of Paris’s best-known shopping districts noticeably quieter and more tense.
The National Rally congress in Orléans was met by a major street protest, with the prefecture estimating the crowd at 11,000 people.
French media outlet BFMTV reports that crowds were chanting “Macron resign,” “Le Pen in prison” as crowds marched peacefully.
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