French protests draw tens of thousands with heavy police presence

Tens of thousands of people protested across France on Saturday in a largely peaceful day, with a heavy police deployment preventing the widespread violence seen the previous week. Authorities had authorized only union-led demonstrations, banning those by students and the yellow vests. The government deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes, elite units, soldiers, and armored vehicles to enforce strict security measures. Most marches followed approved routes away from city centers, though 135 people were detained, mostly at police checkpoints where weapons were confiscated. Minor clashes occurred in Lyon and Nice. Protesters carried signs against the government and police, criticizing exceptional measures like curfews as an attack on freedom. Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, marching in Paris, urged President Emmanuel Macron to concede to demands or face weekly protests ahead of the April presidential election.