French protests see turnout drop to 7,000 as mobilization wanes

Around 7,000 people took part in 68 protests across France on Saturday afternoon, excluding Paris, marking a "clear decline" in mobilization for the "for youth and against high cost of living" demonstrations, according to the Interior Minister's office. This compares to 15,000 participants at 65 actions on October 31, 37,000 at 108 actions on October 24, and 67,000 at 198 actions on October 17. The source noted the decline confirms a downward trend over recent weeks, with 18 arrests made by 2 PM, down from 27 the previous week, and over 15,600 preventive checks conducted. About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed for the fourth consecutive Saturday of protests since October 17. In Paris, the march departed from Place de la République toward Nation, while around 100 yellow vests defied a ban to gather at Place de la Concorde near the Champs-Élysées and government buildings.