Thousands of French residents took to the streets for the fourth weekend in a row of mass demonstrations against rising living costs and government policies. AFP According to the French Ministry of the Interior, 146,000 people participated in rallies across the country, 46,000 of them in Paris. Labor unions estimate the total number of protesters at 250,000, including 75,000 in the capital. In Paris, clashes took place in the Place de la Nation after the end of the procession, which started in the Place de la République. According to AFP, police used tear gas against rioters who threw various objects and homemade pyrotechnic devices at law enforcement officers. The police said that about 200 people attacked police officers while they were arresting a man who had set fire to a garbage can. To maintain order throughout France, the authorities deployed approximately 70,000 security forces. The "Yellow Vests" movement also tried to organize a separate rally at Concorde Square, located near the Elysee Palace and the National Assembly building. The authorities banned this demonstration. The police blocked the approaches to the square and arrested several participants in the movement, including one of the coordinators, Binyamin Ball, and the representative Azlema Sigou. In Lyon, law enforcement officers also used tear gas to disperse several hundred participants in an unauthorized rally that blocked a downtown road. The current wave of protests began at the end of September with demonstrations by schoolchildren who are dissatisfied with the conditions of their education. Later they were joined by students and trade unions. One of the main demands was an increase in wages and measures to protect the purchasing power of the population. Amid ongoing protests, French Prime Minister Sebastien LeCorneau plans to hold talks with union and employer representatives on Monday.

Thousands of French residents took to the streets for the fourth weekend in a row of mass demonstrations against rising living costs and government policies. AFP According to the French Ministry of the Interior, 146,000 people participated in rallies across the country, 46,000 of them in Paris. Labor unions estimate the total number of protesters at 250,000, including 75,000 in the capital. In Paris, clashes took place in the Place de la Nation after the end of the procession, which started in the Place de la République. According to AFP, police used tear gas against rioters who threw various objects and homemade pyrotechnic devices at law enforcement officers. The police said that about 200 people attacked police officers while they were arresting a man who had set fire to a garbage can. To maintain order throughout France, the authorities deployed approximately 70,000 security forces. The "Yellow Vests" movement also tried to organize a separate rally at Concorde Square, located near the Elysee Palace and the National Assembly building. The authorities banned this demonstration. The police blocked the approaches to the square and arrested several participants in the movement, including one of the coordinators, Binyamin Ball, and the representative Azlema Sigou. In Lyon, law enforcement officers also used tear gas to disperse several hundred participants in an unauthorized rally that blocked a downtown road. The current wave of protests began at the end of September with demonstrations by schoolchildren who are dissatisfied with the conditions of their education. Later they were joined by students and trade unions. One of the main demands was an increase in wages and measures to protect the purchasing power of the population. Amid ongoing protests, French Prime Minister Sebastien LeCorneau plans to hold talks with union and employer representatives on Monday.