Clashes with the police, fires, intrusion into the mayor's office. Riots in France

Data on attendance at demonstrations were released by the French Ministry of Interior before the demonstrations began in Paris.

In the capital, even before the protest began, in Paris's Place de la République, where crowds, including many young people, gathered, the police used tear gas several times and later water cannons.

In total, in the first half of the day, the authorities recorded a total of 140 various types of actions across the country. Assemblies and protests were announced for Saturday by various social and professional groups, such as high school and university students, climate activists, some trade unions and agricultural organizations, and participants of the "yellow vest" movement.

There were acts of vandalism - in Rouen, northwest of Paris, someone set fire to a university building early in the morning. In Marseille, vandals targeted shops and a municipal police station, and in Lyon - a kiosk of the city's tourist information office. A confrontation between police and masked youths also occurred in Bordeaux, where police used tear gas.

Later in Marseille, a group of people broke the door to the mayor's office and briefly entered. The mayor of the city (the second largest in France), Benoit Payan, announced that he had talked to French President Emmanuel Macron and that additional police forces would be sent to Marseille. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu called another meeting of the anti-crisis cell at 18.

In the first half of the day, there were also blockades at roundabouts in several smaller towns and in Rennes in western France. These types of blockades were a common form of protest during the 2018-19 Yellow Vest protests.

For weeks, there have been calls on social media to organize protests on October 17, referring to the "yellow vest" movement, to protest against the rising cost of living. These appeals grew in the wake of recent speeches by high school students, and Saturday's demonstrations were presented as a combination of demands from various groups.