France has seen another weekend of tense demonstrations. CBS News reports that more than 1,000 people were arrested as protesters and police clashed, while noting that demonstrations throughout the country were largely peaceful but that police reported clashes on Saturday evening. Bernama, earlier, put the number at nearly 1,000 and said the figure was expected to rise, so the totals differ by time and source.
ABC News reported that the French government deployed roughly 70,000 police, that Paris shut museums and that police fired tear gas during clashes in the capital. Shops on the Champs-Elysees were barricaded ahead of the protests. The NFL also said it would proceed with a game in Paris between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, with heightened security. I have only seen the headlines and short summaries.
The unrest follows the previous weekend, when riots, looting and arson led the government to extend curfews, and when President Macron expressed anger and shame while stopping short of a state of emergency. Protesters have been demonstrating against rising living costs and the state of schools, and the government has blamed an ultra-left movement for some of the violence, which is its own claim.
For residents and visitors, the practical effects include closures of museums and shops, transport disruptions and heavy police presence. Travellers should follow advice from their embassies and avoid protest areas. The political effects may be longer-lasting, as the government faces pressure to address living costs while maintaining order, and the populist right is surging across Europe. Watch for updated arrest figures, any new curfews and talks between the government, unions and student groups.
