Police fired substantial amounts of tear gas into the crowd, forcing her team to move away because of the difficulty breathing. Officers warned through loudspeakers that further tear gas would be used unless protesters cleared the streets.
According to AFP, groups of masked people dressed in black used hammers to pull up paving stones and throw them at police on the outskirts of Paris. At least one incendiary device was also reportedly thrown at security forces, who responded with tear gas and baton charges. Medics treated and evacuated injured people.
Although most demonstrators condemned the violence, many expressed frustration with the government and said they felt their concerns were being ignored.
“There is a sense among people who have returned to the streets repeatedly over recent weeks that they no longer believe the government,” Butler reported, describing a growing loss of public trust.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has met student union representatives several times this week and is considering measures to ease the cost of living. The government says it has listened to the protesters’ demands.
Authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police officers and gendarmes across France ahead of Saturday’s rallies. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had warned of a high risk of disorder, particularly after dark during Halloween celebrations.
In Paris, the main march was moved to the eastern part of the city following a last-minute legal dispute. Unaccompanied minors were also subject to a 9pm curfew around the Champs-Elysees.
The protest movement began last month, when high school students demonstrated against deteriorating school buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system they considered unfair to disadvantaged students. Labour unions subsequently joined the campaign, broadening its focus to include rising living costs and wider social concerns.
France experienced another major wave of demonstrations on October 17, when government estimates put attendance above 500,000. Those protests were accompanied by looting and some of the country’s worst rioting in years.
Unrest has also spread to other European countries. In Germany, thousands rallied on Saturday over rising costs, education cuts and proposed military conscription, while police in Cologne used water cannon to disperse large crowds. Organisers said 170,000 people had registered for demonstrations in more than 30 German cities.
In Spain, regional police in Barcelona raised security preparations following riots on October 24 that led to around 130 arrests, most involving minors. Italian police were also on alert after clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna.
The latest demonstrations underscore growing discontent among young people and workers over living costs, education and public services, as the French government faces pressure to respond to demands for change.