France seethes again as youth-led protests sweep Europe
PARIS — Hundreds of thousands of mostly young protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday in a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education.
asserted
thousands → seethe → costs
About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed across the country, and Paris marches were rerouted to the capital's edge.
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marches → deploy → edge
Youth-led demonstrations were also reported in Germany and Italy.
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demonstrations → lead → Germany
France's government estimated that 320,000 people protested nationwide Saturday, fewer than in previous protests but still a significant turnout.
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people → estimate → protests
Mass protests on Oct. 17 that deteriorated into some of France's worst rioting in years drew more than 500,000 people around France, and demonstrations on Oct. 24 drew 410,000, according to government estimates.
uncertain
demonstrations → deteriorate → estimates
Authorities in France reported about 300 arrests nationwide so far — down from 800 at the same point in last week's protests.
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Authorities → report → protests
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned of a "very high risk" of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween.
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Nuñez → warn → Halloween
Police had arrested thousands of people following riots and looting that marred the largely peaceful protest marches the previous two Saturdays.
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that → arrest → marches
At Porte de Bagnolet, on the eastern edge of Paris, thousands gathered behind a line of students who led the march hand in hand.
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who → gather → hand
Security agents from the CGT, one of France's largest labor unions, were keeping watch at the front of the gathering, while police were massed on side streets.
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police → keep → streets
The Interior Ministry told reporters that of the 320,000 protesting Saturday, 70,000 people are estimated to have turned out for the main protest in Paris, which police moved outside the city center to reduce the risk of unrest around government buildings and tourist sites after a last-minute court battle.
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police → tell → battle
Each group carried its own banner: high school students, climate activists and people angry about the cost of living.
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group → carry → living
Corentin Cabreux, a 21-year-old student, said that he lives in a state-run student residence where "there are damp stains all along the bottom of my walls, whole sections peeling off, cockroaches everywhere, rats."
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sections → say → walls
The crowd streamed along the Boulevards des Maréchaux, the ring of avenues that skirts the edge of Paris, in a march that was joyful for hours.
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that → stream → hours
Techno music blasted from speakers, a painter at work along the route drew cheers from the crowd, and some marchers went trick-or-treating.
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marchers → blast → trick
A police helicopter hovered overhead as the sun set slowly over the city.
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sun → hover → city
Later, clashes broke out near Porte de Charenton, where the march ended.
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march → break → Charenton
Protesters hurled glass bottles and fireworks at police.
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Protesters → hurl → police
Officers responded with volleys of stun grenades and tear gas.
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Officers → respond → grenades
The blasts echoed through the streets, and smoke filled the air as dusk fell.
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dusk → echo → air
Many peaceful marchers turned back, coughing, their eyes streaming with tears, and left the march, some scattering into the nearby Bois de Vincennes, one of the largest parks in Paris.
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some → turn → Paris
Police impose curfew and other measures
The rallies started last month as a movement of high school students protesting neglected buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system seen as unfair to disadvantaged students.
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rallies → impose → students
Labor unions and others angry at President Emmanuel Macron joined in with a variety of demands.
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unions → join → demands
While the vast majority of protesters have been peaceful, groups of troublemakers routinely target police with fireworks and projectiles.
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groups → target → fireworks
Some protests have degenerated into rioting and looting — including unrest on Oct. 17 that appeared to take the government by surprise.
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that → degenerate → surprise
Police have responded with tear gas, dispersion grenades, water cannons and other tactics that have resulted in severe injuries.
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that → respond → injuries
Macron said that Saturday's marches would stay out of city centers to protect shops.
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marches → say → shops
Police also barred people from entering Place de la Republique and Les Halles from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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Police → bar → Saturday
Unaccompanied minors face a separate 9 p.m. curfew around the Champs-Elysees.
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minors → face → Elysees
A Paris court on Wednesday suspended an earlier curfew on minors as a serious and illegal infringement of freedom of movement.
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court → suspend → movement
Protests took place in Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands
In Germany, a youth initiative called "Gen Z regelt" — roughly "Gen Z's got this" — rallied in more than 30 cities "for education, health, climate protection and an affordable life," and against any return of military conscription.
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's → take → conscription
Organizers said that tens of thousands participated in the protests across the country, but official figures weren't immediately available.
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figures → say → country
In Berlin, young protesters also gathered at Brandenburg Gate on Saturday afternoon, demanding more investments in education and housing.
"
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protesters → gather → education
We call for more money to be invested in social services and education, as well as in climate protection — in short, in our future — because we are the ones who will be affected by this the longest and who will have to live with it," high school student Lara Breitenbach said.
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Breitenbach → call → it
Janelle Schulz, another high school student from Berlin, also said that the authorities had to invest more money in education.
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authorities → say → education
"At my school, the ceiling is collapsing because of water damage, nothing is being done about it, we have a shortage of teachers, the toilets are broken," she said.
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she → collapse → teachers
Later on Saturday, police ended a protest march early in the western city of Cologne after protesters used pyrotechnics, threw stones at them and covered their faces despite a ban.
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protesters → end → ban
Police also used water cannons to disperse demonstrators.
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Police → use → demonstrators
In the northern city of Hamburg, some protesters also shot pyrotechnics toward police and burned down barricades.
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protesters → shoot → barricades
Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds in Hamburg.
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Police → use → Hamburg
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
