France: 1,314 arrests during nationwide protests

Protests held across France on Saturday, October 24, against the rising cost of living and inadequate funding for public services led to 1,314 arrests, according to the Interior Ministry. Authorities counted 410,000 participants nationwide, while the CGT put the figure at nearly 800,000; in Paris, their estimates were 110,000 and 250,000 respectively. Clashes broke out near the end of the Paris march when masked individuals threw projectiles and fireworks at police, who responded with tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons. The ministry’s provisional tally reported 53 injured members of the security forces and 75 fire-related interventions.