French protests over cost of living turn violent, 130 arrested

French police arrested over 130 people and fired tear gas Saturday as fresh cost-of-living protests erupted nationwide, with 70,000 security forces deployed to prevent a repeat of last weekend's violence that saw hundreds of shops looted. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported no major incidents by midday, citing confiscated weapons including a katana sword and steel balls as evidence of radical groups' intent. Police used armoured vehicles and helicopters, while Paris march organizers faced a last-minute route change to the city's southern edge. The protests coincide with Marine Le Pen's campaign launch, with tensions high ahead of presidential elections in six months. Unions condemned the government's ban on non-union demonstrations as an "authoritarian drift," while far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon warned protests would continue weekly.