Protesters clash with police during nationwide demonstrations in France

Protesters have clashed with police in cities across France as major rallies take place across the country.

Scuffles broke out on Saturday in the capital, Paris, between groups of protesters and police, who used tear gas to push back people wearing hoods and masks.

Large numbers of riot police were deployed in the Place de la Republique, a square northeast of the city centre, and surrounding streets. Dozens of people were reportedly already detained.

In the southern city of Marseille, local media reported that protesters breached the town hall and looted shops in the city’s commercial district, while in Lyon, media reports said the local tourism office was set ablaze.

France’s Interior Ministry had recorded 140 protest actions across the country by midday, with 32,800 participants. The ministry said 166 people had been arrested nationwide so far.

Saturday’s protests against the rising costs of goods like fuel and food come on the back of weeks of rallies from French high school students, who took to the streets to protest poor conditions in their schools.

Some children who attended those high school protests reported serious injuries at the hands of police, including the case of one 15-year-old girl who lost a hand.

Beyond the scuffles at some demonstrations, Saturday has also seen widespread peaceful protests, with unions, teachers and regular citizens taking to the streets.

French “yellow vest” protesters – who took to the streets in nationwide protests in 2018 against the cost of living – have also signalled that they will join the protests.

President Macron appealed for calm on Friday, the eve of the protests.

“There is a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself,” he said in Brussels. “But this right comes with the need to respect. Respect for people, respect for property, and therefore a commitment not to insult or destroy.”