Police in Paris used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse tensions at the end of a protest against the decline in purchasing power. The clashes took place at the Porte de Charenton, where the permitted march in the eastern part of the French capital ended, TASS reports.
According to information, some of the radical participants threw stones and bottles at the police. The intervention followed when the column reached the end point of the route. There is no specific information about the number of people injured in the incident.
The march started at 2:00 p.m. from the Porte de Bagnolet and passed along a route to the Porte de Charenton. The route was finally approved by the Council of State after a legal dispute between the organizers and the authorities led to a change in the originally planned route through the center of Paris.
Most of the authorized demonstration passed peacefully. According to “Le Monde“, around 70,000 people took part in the march, according to data from the police prefecture, while the organizers have not yet announced their own estimate of the number of participants. The media also reported tension at the Porte de Charenton, where, after an initially calm situation, the crowd began to move and throw pirate flags.
The French Interior Ministry announced that 70,000 police and gendarmerie officers had been mobilized throughout the country. By 2:00 p.m., 27 arrests had been registered, and by the end of the afternoon, the number had reached 272. The figures are preliminary and include all locations where protests were held.
The authorities have stated that the authorized marches will be guarded until their end. “Authorized marches will be guarded and secured until their end“, the French Interior Ministry stated in a statement.
The protests are part of an ongoing mobilization in France, in which, in addition to dissatisfaction with rising prices and falling purchasing power, questions are being raised about conditions in schools, public services and the actions of the government. French authorities have warned of a risk of evening riots and have imposed restrictions on some gatherings in central Paris.
Sources: apnews.com, lemonde.fr, franceactus.info