France protests on November 7 lead to clashes and arrests in Paris
Police clashed with Yellow Vest protesters in Paris as rallies over living costs entered a fourth week, Al Jazeera reported.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
France protests on November 7 brought clashes between police and Yellow Vest demonstrators in Paris after the group went ahead with a rally that had been banned, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that two coordinators were arrested and that at least 146,000 people marched across the country over the rising cost of living.
Al Jazeera described Saturday's demonstrations as the fourth consecutive week of protests. Its report did not identify the basis for the nationwide attendance figure or provide further details about the ban or the arrests.
What happened at the France protests on November 7?
The reported confrontation in Paris involved Yellow Vest protesters who defied the rally ban, Al Jazeera said. The protests were directed at soaring living costs, according to the outlet, with demonstrations taking place beyond the capital.
The November 7 turnout figure is separate from substantially larger demonstrations reported two weeks earlier. CNN said French authorities counted at least 400,000 protesters nationwide on October 24, including 110,000 in Paris.
How do the November 7 rallies differ from the October 24 protests?
CNN described the October 24 demonstrations as largely peaceful overall, though clashes occurred in several places later in the day. Authorities said nearly 1,000 people were detained across France, CNN reported.
In Paris, CNN reported that a smaller group of about 1,000 people remained near the end of the October 24 march and confronted police. Officers used tear gas and a water cannon to stop the group, according to CNN; authorities also reported the use of those crowd-control measures during clashes in several cities.
That earlier day included more than 280 protests outside Paris, according to the Interior Ministry figures cited by CNN. The ministry also said 70,000 officers had been positioned across the country for the weekend security operation.
The available reporting does not establish whether the same organizers, demands or policing arrangements applied on October 24 and November 7. It does show that the November 7 rallies continued a series of weekly demonstrations focused, according to Al Jazeera, on the cost of living.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.