France protests turn violent in Paris and Marseille as 410,000 rally nationwide

Hundreds of thousands protested across France on Saturday, with largely peaceful rallies turning violent in Paris and Marseille despite a massive security operation. The Interior Ministry reported 410,000 participants nationwide, though unions claimed the figure was twice as high. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon in Paris after hooded youths hurled stones, while clashes also erupted in Lyon, Bordeaux and Grenoble. Authorities deployed 70,000 officers, 10,000 more than last week, after conceding they underestimated prior unrest. The protests began with student demonstrations last month and spread over economic grievances, with violence less intense than a week ago. Leftist leaders criticized restrictions on marches, while hard-left figure Jean-Luc Mélenchon predicted weekly protests until President Emmanuel Macron addresses social malaise.