In France on Saturday, about 410,000 people demonstrated across the country against rising inflation and low budgets for schools. Meanwhile, there was a clash between the demonstrators and the police. According to the Ministry of Interior, about 1 lakh 10 thousand people took to the streets in the capital Paris alone. The demonstration comes as violence, vandalism and looting took place in several French cities just a week ago. Pressure is mounting on President Emmanuel Macron’s government due to continued protests.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said around 1,000 people were arrested during the protests. He said there were serious clashes between the police and some groups of people dressed in black. Nunez described these people as extreme left-wing extremists. He said the police faced an unusually high level of violence during the protests. About 70 thousand security personnel were deployed across the country to handle the situation and maintain law and order.

A big challenge for the Macron government

France will hold presidential elections in May 2027. In such a situation, continuous demonstrations have become a challenge for the Macron government. The government has instructed the police to keep the protesters away from the main areas of the cities and away from shops and business areas. Curfews have also been imposed for a limited time in some areas of Paris and several other cities to prevent violence.

According to AFP, Macron has also asked officials to ban demonstrations that are not linked to trade unions. He termed such demonstrations as illegal.

Police fired tear gas and water cannons

Police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse crowds in Paris on Saturday. The demonstration featured trade union banners and posters against the Macron government and the police.

According to news agency Bloomberg, Nunez said that people have the freedom to express their views, but some people want the demonstration to be violent. Student unions and labor unions have said they will continue the protest. They demand that the government withdraw its proposed budget decisions and allocate more money to essential public services, including education.