French protests over schools and living costs draw 35,000 marchers

Tens of thousands of students and workers marched across France on Saturday over school funding and living costs, with police using tear gas in some cities, intensifying pressure on President Emmanuel Macron amid his final months in office. France's interior ministry reported 35,000 demonstrators nationwide by 1 p.m., down from 60,000 a week earlier. Police deployed tear gas in Lyon and Clermont-Ferrand, while 26,500 people joined protests in Toulouse. Authorities confined the Paris march to the city's southeastern edge, with up to 70,000 officers deployed nationwide. The movement began as a protest over high school staff shortages and has expanded to demand better schools, higher wages, and pensions. Energy prices rose 21.3% in September, driving inflation to 3.1%. Shops boarded up across Paris, and major museums closed, while some rallies were banned in cities including Nice and Montpellier.