Over 300 protesters detained in France: rallies less tense than expected

In France, mass protests have swept the country, with people disagreeing with the government's policy of cutting state benefits. According to law enforcement, actions took place in more than 700 settlements, gathering about half a million people, of whom 50 to 100 thousand protested in Paris. This is reported by Le Figaro, writes UNN.

Details

French police this Thursday, September 18, arrested 309 participants in mass protests that swept the country.

The demonstration in the capital started at Place de la Bastille, passed through Place de la République and ended at Place de la Nation. To prevent possible unrest, the police sent instructions to businesses along the route in advance regarding security measures - from closing establishments to increased vigilance.

The actions were less intense than expected. 700 actions were recorded across the country. The preliminary deployment of our law enforcement agencies had a deterrent effect

According to the minister, who is resigning, more than 6,000 police officers and gendarmes were involved in maintaining order. The Minister of Internal Affairs stated that the preventive presence of law enforcement officers played a key role.

Despite local clashes, this time the level of violence was significantly lower than law enforcement predicted. For comparison: just a week earlier, on September 10, 675 people were detained in France, 280 of them in Paris, and more than 500 protesters remained in custody.

Recall

It was previously reported that in France, in protest against cuts in state benefits, trade unions announced a nationwide strike. It was expected that on September 18, more than 800,000 people would join the actions in 250 cities across the country.

On September 10, protesters in France took part in an action called "Block Everything," expressing dissatisfaction with Macron's policies and budget cuts. On that day, many rioters were detained, and the police used tear gas.