Protests in France against the high costs of living and in solidarity with students

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Protesters set fire to a car and a newsstand in Paris, while police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse groups of violent protesters.

Other major cities witnessed similar tensions on the sidelines of the demonstrations that spread throughout the country in protest against the high costs of living, and in solidarity with the demands of high school students.

In Lyon, the third largest city in France, a fire broke out inside a tourism office, and smoke and flames were seen rising from the building.

In the southern coastal city of Marseille, some stores and a municipal police station were damaged, while some demonstrators briefly stormed the lobby of the municipal building before police forced them out.

In the city of Lille, on Saturday, protesters stormed the municipal building in northern France and damaged its contents before leaving, according to what an Agence France-Presse photographer saw. Minutes later, riot police confirmed that all protesters had left the scene.

In Paris, police used tear gas and water cannons to remove people who were wearing hoods and masks, and throwing fireworks and other objects at security personnel in Place de la République, located northeast of central Paris.

Large numbers of riot police were deployed in the square and the surrounding streets.

Most of the peaceful demonstrators joined the march, which began moving toward northwest Paris.

Demonstrators across France responded to calls posted on social media to revive the “yellow vest” movement, which emerged in 2018 to protest social injustice.

Student groups, which have been protesting since mid-September by closing schools, also called on their supporters to join them.

The General Confederation of Labor, one of the largest trade unions in France, also supported the protests, demanding "increase wages and pensions, lower prices, and protect public services that meet people's needs."

The office of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said earlier that the authorities had recorded 140 protest movements outside the Paris region by midday, in which more than 32,000 people participated. Authorities reported arresting at least 166 people across the country.

Nuñez's office pointed to acts of violence committed by people wearing masks in Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers.

A call for "calm and respect"

After weeks of student protests, it is still difficult to predict the scope of this movement, which coincides with the first day of the school holiday, while unions called on public and private sector employees to demonstrate and strike on November 5, especially for salaries and services.

In the second largest economy in the Eurozone, which is suffering under the weight of debt, the convergence of protest movements comes from different sectors, against the backdrop of social tensions fueled by rising fuel prices and declining purchasing power.

About 1,500 protest movements were announced Saturday across France on a website dedicated to that. Circles close to the Minister of the Interior reported 500 “anticipated” movements and more than 90 planned demonstrations.

A police source told AFP that expectations indicate that about 200,000 people may participate, 40,000 of whom will be in Paris.

From Brussels, Macron called on Friday for “calm and respect,” considering that the right to demonstrate must be accompanied by “respect for persons and property.”

Macron recently considered that the “legitimate” demands of students were being “exploited for political purposes,” according to a government spokeswoman.

The leader of the radical leftist "Proud France" party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, announced his support for the student movement, and participated in one of the demonstrations in Paris.

On the other hand, the far-right National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen, the most likely to win the elections, expressed its support for the police, holding the students responsible for the violence.

Jerome, a prominent figure in the “yellow vest” movement, who lost an eye during the January 2019 demonstrations in Paris, said, “Whatever happens on the 17th (of October), the problem will not be solved in one day. We must raise our voices for a longer period.”