French Police Clash with Protesters in Paris and Cities Nationwide, Nearly 1,000 Arrested

Clashes between demonstrators and police erupted in Paris and other French cities on October 24, with nearly 1,000 people arrested, as the government seeks to restore order following violent protests a week earlier. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police faced "extremely violent" actions from black-clad "far-left" extremists, leading to the arrests. Riot police used tear gas in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille, Toulouse, Montpellier, and Nantes, with two serious injuries reported in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand. Authorities had deployed 70,000 security forces nationwide for the cost-of-living protests, which drew an estimated 410,000 to 800,000 participants. The previous week's riots saw 2,700 arrests, and curfews were imposed in some areas, while President Macron ordered a ban on non-union demonstrations.