Half a million protest in France; nearly 1,000 arrested in second wave of unrest

Around 500,000 people demonstrated across France on Saturday in a second wave of protests against worsening school conditions and the rising cost of living, with nearly 1,000 arrests reported. Clashes broke out in Paris and other cities as protesters demanded President Emmanuel Macron's resignation. Police deployed 70,000 officers, a 20% increase from the previous week, to prevent a repeat of last week's violence that saw vandalism and looting. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported an "extremely high level of violence" from masked far-left extremists, while the CGT union counted 800,000 protesters nationwide. The protests come six months before presidential elections, with far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon warning Macron to back down or face weekly demonstrations. The government reportedly asked telecom companies to prepare to block social media platforms during the protests, though this has not been independently verified.