Many checks and arrests on the day of protest in France

At the beginning of the day of protests in France, the authorities carried out numerous checks and arrested 135 people by 1 p.m. According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, there were no major incidents in the first half of the day.

According to the minister, there were more than 1,000 checks in the Paris region. Many dangerous items were seized - boules balls, slingshots and an airsoft gun. The controls were “extremely productive,” said Nuñez. We remain extremely cautious and are still far from the end of the day.

Before the start of the large demonstrations, which started in the afternoon, 35,000 people were counted in public spaces, said the Interior Minister. Last Saturday there were 60,000 people at that time. Nuñez pointed out that there was a significantly increased police presence. He had previously announced the deployment of 70,000 officers on the streets.

Bans on gatherings in several cities

For weeks, pupils and students in France have been demonstrating for better school equipment. They have been joined by other groups who, among other things, are taking to the streets against high living costs. Due to fears of riots and looting, such as those that occurred on the sidelines of the rallies last weekend, bans on gatherings in certain zones and curfews were issued in several cities.

Rallies that are accompanied by the organizers with a security service would be permitted, "and provided that they obviously do not take place in places where looting, disruption of public order and the like could occur," Interior Minister Nuñez announced.

In Marseille, the prefecture exceptionally authorized a union demonstration after initially banning all gatherings. In Lyon, demonstrations are banned in large parts of the city center. In Nice, where all gatherings are banned according to the prefecture, police forces, gendarmes and special forces are deployed in the city center.

National Rally Congress in Orléans

In the tense situation in the country, particular attention is being paid to the city of Orléans, where the party conference of the right-wing national Rassemblement National (RN) is taking place this weekend. According to the prefecture, 11,000 people gathered there at lunchtime to demonstrate against the party. 3,000 security and rescue workers were mobilized.

RN leader Jordan Bardella is running for re-election today unopposed. A speech by RN parliamentary group leader Marine Le Pen is on the program on Sunday. She wants to officially open her presidential election campaign with the appearance in front of around 10,000 supporters.