France protests turn violent in Paris as police officer hit by firebomb
- Hundreds of thousands marched across France against living costs and police violence.
- Clashes broke out in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse; more than 420 people were arrested.
- A Paris officer was hit by a Molotov cocktail; the interior minister called it attempted murder.
What began as a mostly peaceful day of marches across France ended in tear gas and arrests in several cities on Saturday, as a third straight weekend of protests against the cost of living drew hundreds of thousands onto the streets.
The interior ministry put the national turnout at about 320,000, including 70,000 in Paris. Youth groups behind the marches gave a far higher figure, saying close to half a million people took part nationwide and 200,000 in the capital.
Many came in Halloween costumes, from Spider-Man to Frankenstein, carrying placards mocking the government's handling of the crisis. One sign read that tear gas was not needed to make the future look bleak; another said the wearer had come dressed as an angry citizen.
Violence at the end of the Paris march
Trouble flared after a march on the outskirts of Paris wound up in bright sunshine. According to the Paris police prefecture, several hundred rioters at the back of the procession threw projectiles at officers, including a Molotov cocktail.
One officer was struck by an incendiary device and escaped with minor injuries. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the attack as attempted murder and blamed far-left extremist groups for the violence. He said the authorities were fully prepared for those seeking confrontation.
Officers answered with tear gas and baton charges. A night-time curfew was set for the Republique and Chatelet-Les Halles areas of central Paris from 11pm to 6am on Saturday and Sunday. More than 420 people were arrested across the country.
In Lyon, protesters threw objects at police, who responded with tear gas. In Toulouse, officers used a water cannon against an unauthorised gathering of several thousand people, mostly young. The interior ministry said radical elements in Bordeaux, Toulouse and Marseille had tried to push into city centres to vandalise and loot.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said those behind the firebomb attack must face the harshest punishment, calling images of an officer in flames unbearable.
Students plan new blockades
The movement brings together Yellow Vest activists, trade unions and high school and university students. It started over prices, inequality and poor learning conditions, then widened to include civil liberties and the right to protest after a security crackdown and serious injuries to some demonstrators.
Students complained that police refused to allow a march through central Paris. Sabrine Kharbach, spokeswoman for the Union Etudiante, said they would blockade universities and high schools from Tuesday, again on Thursday, and join a union-called demonstration on November 5.
Some shopkeepers boarded up their storefronts in advance. In eastern Paris, cafe worker Wael Boubaker covered his shop with plywood, saying everyone was staying home and no one would come to buy anything.
The unrest comes less than six months before presidential elections, with Le Pen leading opinion polls. The eurozone's second-largest economy is near recession and under pressure to cut its debt, leaving the government little room to calm anger with extra spending.
