PARIS, November 14. /TASS/. French police and gendarmes have detained 121 people during rallies held across the country on November 14 against rising prices and police violence, the BFMTV television channel reported, citing the French Interior Ministry.
These figures cover the entire country as of 5:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. GMT) and are subject to further updates by the end of the day. Earlier, the Paris Police Prefecture reported the detention of 22 people in the capital, including three teenagers. Most of the detentions were for carrying items classified as weapons, verbal abuse, or violating bans on entering specific areas or participating in rallies.
According to the French Interior Ministry, 106,000 people took part in the rallies held across the country on Saturday. The largest rally took place in Paris, where, according to ministry estimates, 24,000 people took to the streets. University and high school student associations involved in organizing the protests claimed that 200,000 people participated nationwide, including 100,000 in Paris.
As a TASS correspondent witnessed, the rally in the French capital remained largely peaceful. However, near the end of the route, clashes broke out between groups of troublemakers and police. All participants eventually reached the Place de la Nation, where police officers stationed around the perimeter urged them to disperse. Law enforcement officers pushed back the crowd several times using batons and tear gas, and by now almost no protesters remain in the square.
In several other major cities, where marches were also held following calls by the Yellow Vests movement and university and high school student associations, minor incidents were recorded. In Nantes, police deployed a water cannon to disperse the crowd, while clashes with law enforcement were also reported in Bordeaux and Lyon.
Mass protests have been underway in France since late September, when school students began blockading educational institutions to express dissatisfaction with their poor condition, overloaded schedules, and a shortage of teachers for certain subjects. In October, trade unions also began staging protests, demanding wage hikes and calling on the authorities to scrap further austerity measures.