French Police Fire Tear Gas as Nationwide Protests Draw Tens of Thousands

OPA WIRE, Nov 15 (OPA) — French security forces deployed tear gas and batons on Saturday to disperse crowds during the fifth consecutive Saturday of mass demonstrations, known locally as Act V. The Interior Ministry confirmed that approximately 106,000 people demonstrated nationwide, including 24,000 in Paris, while student unions estimated the turnout at 200,000. Protesters chanted slogans demanding the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron and voiced strong opposition to economic policies and rising living costs.

By early evening, a French Interior Ministry spokesman reported 121 arrests nationwide following running street battles and property damage in multiple urban centers. In Paris, riot-control units clashed with protesters near Place de la Nation, where armored officers charged crowds with batons. Trade union activists and demonstrators condemned the police response as heavy-handed, pointing to ongoing debates over a proposed parliamentary bill that would grant officers a presumption of legitimate self-defense when using weapons.

The demonstrations began weeks ago following a high school student campaign demanding roughly £9 billion in education funding before rapidly expanding into a broad coalition. The movement now encompasses trade unions, Black Bloc anarchists, and remnants of the Yellow Vest movement that originally mobilized against fuel tax hikes in 2018. Participants targeted various grievances, from educational conditions and child rights to broader economic inequality and the administration's sliding popularity ratings.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez deployed roughly 70,000 police officers and gendarmes to manage the protests amid warnings of potential violence. Authorities launched an attempted murder investigation after petrol bombs were hurled at gendarmes during the Paris march. With more than 4,000 people taken into custody over the past month of unrest, security forces remain on high alert for further disturbances as demonstrators vow to continue their mobilization.