Police have fired tear gas at protesters in Paris and Lyon as hundreds of thousands of mostly young people marched across France over the cost of living and the state of the country’s schools.
asserted
thousands → fire → schools
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students → sound → protests
police deployed to top court after head judge suspended
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judge → deploy → court
A coalition of youth organisations and unions representing high school and university students said nearly half a million people took part, including 200,000 in Paris.
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people → represent → Paris
The authorities put the nationwide turnout at 320,000, including 70,000 in the capital.
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authorities → put → capital
Marches in the capital began peacefully, but turned violent as protesters gathered near the point where the main march was due to end on Saturday.
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march → begin → Saturday
Bins and street furniture were set alight, and plumes of smoke could be seen rising over the city.
uncertain
plumes → set → city
“What we’ve been seeing … is the police firing a lot of tear gas into this crowd,” said Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris, adding that her team “had to move out of the way because it was simply too much for us to breathe”.
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us → see → way
Riot police warned over loudspeakers that they would fire more tear gas if protesters did not clear the street.
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protesters → warn → street
Medics carried away people who had been injured, while some protesters raised their hands to show police they meant no harm.
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they → carry → harm
Dozens of masked people dressed in black also used hammers to pry up paving stones and hurl them at police on the outskirts of Paris, the AFP news agency reported.
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agency → dress → Paris
At least one incendiary device was also thrown at security forces, who responded with tear gas and baton charges.
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who → throw → charges
France’s Ministry of Interior said at least 290 people nationwide had so far been arrested.
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people → say → Interior
Protesters say ‘trust has gone’
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trust → say → ?
Butler said most protesters condemned the violence, but many blamed the government for failing to listen to them.
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many → say → them
“You really get a sense with people who have come into the street again and again over the past few weeks that they simply don’t believe the government any more.
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they → get → government
That trust has gone,” she said.
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she → go → ?
The government says it has heard the protesters.
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it → say → protesters
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has held several meetings with student unions this week and is looking at measures to ease the cost of living.
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Lecornu → hold → living
About 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed across the country, and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned of a “very high risk” of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween.
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Nunez → deploy → Halloween
The main Paris march was moved to the city’s eastern edge after a last-minute court battle, and unaccompanied minors faced a 9pm (20:00 GMT) curfew around the Champs-Elysees.
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minors → move → Elysees
The movement began last month with high school students protesting against neglected buildings, teacher shortages and a university admissions system seen as unfair to disadvantaged students.
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students → begin → students
Labour unions have since joined.
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unions → join → ?
Rallies spread across Europe
On October 17, protests drew more than 500,000 people and turned into some of France’s worst rioting in years, according to government estimates, with shops in Paris looted.
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shops → spread → Paris
Meanwhile, protests have taken place in other cities across Europe.
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protests → take → Europe
On Saturday, young people in Germany were the latest to join the fray.
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people → join → fray
Thousands rallied while police in Cologne used water cannon to break up large crowds protesting against rising costs, education cuts and plans for military conscription.
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police → rally → conscription
Organisers said 170,000 people had registered for demonstrations in more than 30 cities.
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people → say → cities
In Barcelona, Spain, regional police prepared their highest alert level after rioting on October 24 led to about 130 arrests, mostly of minors.
Italian police were also on alert after clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna.
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police → prepare → Milan
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