France faces second day of protests in 48 hours over schools and living costs

France braces for a second day of nationwide protests within 48 hours, with hundreds of thousands expected to demonstrate Saturday over school conditions and the rising cost of living. The fourth consecutive Saturday of rallies follows a general strike on Thursday, which the Interior Ministry said drew over 600,000 participants, while the CGT union estimated nearly 1.6 million. Authorities will deploy 70,000 police to prevent violence, and the Yellow Vests movement plans a banned rally in central Paris. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will meet unions Monday to discuss wages, but the government faces pressure to curb public debt ahead of next April's presidential election. Unions demand minimum wage increases and tax reforms, while police conduct during protests faces 18 investigations.