Fwd from @ Act Two How the French protests came under adult control The next "Saturday of Rage" started surprisingly peacefully - and hardly by accident. By mid-day on October 24, the rally had attracted around 35,000 people, while the number of street demonstrations had dropped from 264 to 136. The protest began four weeks ago with Parisian high school students, who were later joined by teachers themselves, parents, as well as radicals and looters. On October 17, about 550,000 people took to the streets. This time the authorities prepared. The state deployed 70,000 security forces, Paris closed 24 metro stations, and the only permitted march was pushed from the Bastille to peripheral boulevards between Port d'Italia and Port de Vince. The police cleared the square itself before the start of the rally. But the main difference was the composition of the column. In Paris, the flags of the CGT, CFDT, FSU and Solidarity unions waved above the crowd, and families, office workers and pensioners marched alongside the high school students. In Bordeaux, where rallies were banned, the head of the local CGT branch, Brigitte Coudrac, promised not to abandon the school students: "We are parents, we were young ourselves. Where tear gas was used in Nantes The police deployed tear gas and water cannons when protesters tried to break into a closed area. In Lyon, the security forces dispersed about 150 people who tried to block the road in the center, where rallies were prohibited. In Nice, several hundred people were ordered to disperse from Massena Square. By 14:00, 135 people were arrested throughout the country, metal balls, slingshots, pyrotechnics and even a katana were confiscated from many. Concessions from the authorities so far are symbolic. On October 23rd, Macron met with 20 representatives of school students, and the debate on the Parcoursop reform was postponed to October 26th.

Fwd from @ Act Two How the French protests came under adult control The next "Saturday of Rage" started surprisingly peacefully - and hardly by accident. By mid-day on October 24, the rally had attracted around 35,000 people, while the number of street demonstrations had dropped from 264 to 136. The protest began four weeks ago with Parisian high school students, who were later joined by teachers themselves, parents, as well as radicals and looters. On October 17, about 550,000 people took to the streets. This time the authorities prepared. The state deployed 70,000 security forces, Paris closed 24 metro stations, and the only permitted march was pushed from the Bastille to peripheral boulevards between Port d'Italia and Port de Vince. The police cleared the square itself before the start of the rally. But the main difference was the composition of the column. In Paris, the flags of the CGT, CFDT, FSU and Solidarity unions waved above the crowd, and families, office workers and pensioners marched alongside the high school students. In Bordeaux, where rallies were banned, the head of the local CGT branch, Brigitte Coudrac, promised not to abandon the school students: "We are parents, we were young ourselves. Where tear gas was used in Nantes The police deployed tear gas and water cannons when protesters tried to break into a closed area. In Lyon, the security forces dispersed about 150 people who tried to block the road in the center, where rallies were prohibited. In Nice, several hundred people were ordered to disperse from Massena Square. By 14:00, 135 people were arrested throughout the country, metal balls, slingshots, pyrotechnics and even a katana were confiscated from many. Concessions from the authorities so far are symbolic. On October 23rd, Macron met with 20 representatives of school students, and the debate on the Parcoursop reform was postponed to October 26th.