France on high alert as Paris march begins in uneasy calm

Protests in Paris began on Saturday, filling the city’s southern edge with the sounds of a brass band playing “Bella Ciao” and portable speakers blaring “I Will Survive”, despite fears of fresh street clashes.

Elsewhere in France, police began dispersing unauthorised gatherings in Lyon and Nice, firing tear gas in Lyon as demonstrators defied local protest bans.

French authorities expect up to half a million people to hit the streets on Saturday across the country, matching the scale of the 550,000 who protested last weekend. The October 17 demonstrations descended into looting and the worst urban rioting France had seen in years.

For many young students who gathered in Paris on Saturday, the main message was for the government to understand their struggle, their demand for better education and the general population’s suffering amid the rising cost of living.