France: 135 Detained as Second Weekend of Cost-of-Living Protests Unfolds

135. That is the number of people Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed were detained by French police on Saturday. The security chief stated that authorities seized a wide array of items from the crowd, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel spheres, improvised tools, a katana, and airsoft guns. Despite the significant arrest count, Nuñez insisted that no major incidents had occurred across the country yet. He revealed that up to 70,000 officers were deployed for the weekend, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend's chaos.

The second consecutive weekend of nationwide demonstrations saw heavy security presence in major cities. In Lyon, where protests were officially banned, approximately 150 demonstrators near the city center attempted to block a road. Police responded with tear gas to clear the area. A 21-year-old student speaking to Agence France-Presse noted that officers were highly mobile, stating, "They come and disperse marches before they even form."

In Orléans, the crowd marched in opposition to a congress hosted by Marine Le Pen's National Rally party. Le Pen is using the event to launch her presidential campaign ahead of the election in six months, where current polls place her in the lead. Demonstrators chanted slogans demanding both Macron resign and Le Pen go to prison. Police tallies counted 11,000 participants, while organizers claimed the number reached 26,000. The event, backed by roughly 50 groups including unions and student organizations, ended peacefully in the early afternoon.

Paris experienced a calmer atmosphere compared to other hubs. Hundreds gathered at Porte d'Italie for the city's only authorized march, a location shifted at the last minute from Bastille by police. Murielle Guilbert, a union representative, called the move "scandalous," arguing that wages have not risen to the levels workers expect. Lucas, a student, told CBS Saturday Morning that it is "normal for people to be angry."

Daily life in the capital remains disrupted. Major museums have closed, and many businesses have boarded up their windows. Art Basel opened on Friday for a single day, cancelling its weekend schedule. The first NFL game in France, featuring the New Orleans Saints, remains scheduled for Sunday, though some related venues were shut on Saturday. A soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, originally planned for Sunday, has been moved to Monday night. Around 3,000 shops across the country suffered damage or looting during the previous unrest.

The movement began last month with high school students in southeast Paris demanding better conditions before expanding into broader demands for relief from rising costs. The Yellow Vests, who emerged eight years ago, are planning further demonstrations on October 31. They intend to hold rallies and a sit-in outside parliament and city halls, criticizing the government's "authoritarian drift."

Protests have also rippled across Europe. Italy deployed extra soldiers to Milan following recent looting, and Premier Giorgia Meloni announced stricter penalties for minors involved in the violence. In Tirana, Albania, riot police used water cannons on students protesting tuition and corruption. Meanwhile, thousands of retirees marched in Madrid over pensions, and a housing protest was anticipated in Lisbon.