The Paris prosecutor’s office said 64 people had been arrested in connection with Saturday’s demonstration and 40 placed in police custody. Those arrested included six minors.
Most arrests concerned suspected weapons offences or participation in a group preparing violence or property damage, the office said. Violent clashes erupted in Paris on Saturday as police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse protesters during a nationwide march.
Over 400,000 gathered to demonstrate against school underfunding and the rising cost of living, with unrest also reported in several other French cities. The procession brought thousands onto the streets and intensified pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron's government.
Visuals from the streets of France showed the immense gathering of thousands of protestors holding banners in their hand to express their stance against the rising cost of living. However, what began as a peaceful procession through the French capital turned violent when thousands of demonstrators reached Porte de Vincennes, on the city's southeastern outskirts.
Visuals from the scene showed thick clouds of tear gas filling the streets as mask-clad protesters threw cobblestones and other projectiles at security forces. Police deployed armoured water cannons to push back groups of demonstrators in crowded areas.
Separate footage showed shopfronts being looted and windows smashed, raising concerns after widespread rioting damaged more than 3,000 businesses across France the previous week. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed 64 arrests linked to Saturday's protest.
Forty people, including six minors, were held in custody, primarily on suspicion of weapons offences or intending to commit violence and damage property. Unrest spreads across France as 70,000 officers deployedClashes were also reported in Lyon, Clermont-Ferr and, Strasbourg and Marseille, where police fired tear gas.
Water cannons were used to disperse crowds in Nantes and Nice. The French interior ministry estimated that 410,000 people took part in the demonstrations nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris.
The CGT trade union, however, put the national turnout at nearly 800,000. France's interior minister Laurent Nuñez deployed 70,000 police officers and security personnel across France, supported by armoured vehicles and helicopters.




