France sees new round of Yellow Vest, student protests

France witnessed a diminished round of Yellow Vest and student protests during the fourth weekend of mass demonstrations, though clashes with police were noted in various cities, according to the Interior Ministry on Saturday. Authorities had anticipated up to 170,000 participants across the nation, including 60,000 in Paris. The ministry reported a lower turnout of 146,000 people, with around 46,000 converging on Paris, where the afternoon remained mostly peaceful with isolated incidents in the evening involving tear gas deployment.

Protest organizers estimated over 250,000 protesters, which is fewer than the 320,000 to 500,000 reported last Saturday. Clashes occurred in Toulouse, Marseille, Lyon, and Bordeaux, with 350 arrests nationwide by the evening. Students and labor unions organized a permitted march in central Paris against high living costs and supported youth.

In Paris, an authorized march took place peacefully from Republique to Nation, but tensions erupted when police said about 200 violent individuals attacked law enforcement after a man was arrested for setting fire to a trash can. The Yellow Vest movement, known for its violent protests against a proposed fuel tax hike eight years ago, declined to join the student rally.

Instead, the Gilets Jaunes held an unauthorized event at Paris' Place de la Concorde, near parliament and the Elysee Palace. Two prominent figures, Benjamin Ball and Solene Azelma Sigaux, were arrested. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced 70,000 police and security forces would be deployed across the country for the weekend, ready to handle rioters and looters.

The large police presence follows weeks of violent mass demonstrations, notably the October 17 rioting that caused over a billion euros in damage. French authorities say protests have largely remained peaceful, but numerous violent clashes with police have continued amid President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to address public discontent over rising living costs.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is set to meet with trade and employee unions on Monday to discuss demands, but the protesters believe only a response to their demands will quell anger. The protests started with students advocating for education system improvements, and unions joined to demand wage hikes and tax reforms. Macron's government pledged to raise the minimum wage, increase funding for schools, and address teaching staff salaries, yet faces a challenging fiscal situation as debt stands at 119% of GDP in the EU's second-largest economy.