Nuñez Reports 135 Arrests as 70,000 Officers Guard France

135 people were detained by French police on Saturday as authorities fired tear gas to manage demonstrations over the cost of living. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced the arrests during a briefing on the security situation across major cities. He stated that officers seized a variety of items from protesters, including metal balls, lead pellets, fireworks, slingshots, steel balls, improvised weapons, and airsoft guns. A katana was also recovered during the sweeps.

Nuñez said the deployment of up to 70,000 officers, supported by helicopters, armored vehicles, and water cannons, was designed to prevent a repeat of the previous week's unrest. More than 500,000 people participated in the first round of protests. The minister noted that no major incidents had occurred so far in the country, despite the high turnout expected for this second weekend.

The demonstrations began last month when high school students in the southeast of Paris started marching for better conditions. The movement quickly widened as workers and residents demanded relief from rising living costs. The Yellow Vests, a group that emerged about eight years ago to protest against President Emmanuel Macron, have announced plans for further action on Oct. 31. They intend to hold rallies and a sit-in outside parliament and city halls, citing the government's authoritarian drift as a reason for their return.

In Lyon, where demonstrations were officially banned, about 150 protesters near the city center tried to block a road. Police used tear gas to disperse the group. A 21-year-old student who spoke to Agence France-Presse anonymously described the police presence as really mobile. The student noted that officers would disperse marches before they even formed. In Orlean, thousands marched against a congress held by Marine Le Pen's National Rally party. Le Pen is using the event to launch her bid to succeed Macron as president, with elections six months away. Marchers chanted for Macron to resign and for Le Pen to go to prison. Police counted 11,000 participants, while organizers claimed 26,000 attended. About 50 groups, including unions and left-wing parties, called for the protest. It ended peacefully early in the afternoon.

In Paris, authorities moved the city's only authorized march from the Bastille to the Porte d'Italie at the last minute. The new location is on the remote southeastern edge of the city. Union organizers accepted the change reluctantly. Murielle Guilbert, a union representative, called the move scandalous, stating that Macron had barred protesters from demonstrating where they wished to. She added that wages have not risen to the level they should be. Lucas, a student who spoke to CBS Saturday Morning, said it was normal for people to be angry.

The unrest has disrupted daily life and major events in the capital. Major museums are closed, and many businesses have boarded up their windows. Art Basel opened on Friday for one day only, with organizers canceling the weekend program. The first NFL game in France, featuring the New Orleans Saints, is still scheduled for Sunday, though some related venues were shut Saturday. A soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais planned for Sunday has been moved to Monday night. Around 3,000 shops across France were damaged or looted during the previous weekend's protests.

Unrest has also spread to other parts of Europe. Italy sent additional soldiers to Milan after looting and clashes a week earlier. Premier Giorgia Meloni announced tougher penalties for minors, who police said made up much of the violent crowd. In Tirana, Albania, riot police used water cannons on student protesters demanding lower tuition and an end to corruption in education. Thousands of retirees marched in Madrid over pensions, and a housing protest was expected in Lisbon.