France protests draw 146,000 as clashes erupt for fourth weekend

· Politics · France

France's Interior Ministry counted 146,000 protesters on Saturday as demonstrations over living costs and public services entered a fourth consecutive weekend and clashes erupted, CNBC reported. In the southwestern town of Auch, a police officer's home was destroyed by fire in what Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said authorities believe was a deliberate attack. French police have made extensive use of tear gas during the protests, sometimes causing grievous injuries, and France 24 reported thousands of accounts of women experiencing acutely painful periods and increased bleeding, fuelling calls to ban tear gas at demonstrations. The unrest adds pressure on the government as it grapples with affordability and public-service complaints.

Why it matters：Sustained French unrest over affordability and reports of tear-gas harms test the government's handling of protest and could echo across European politics.

Key points

  • The Interior Ministry counted 146,000 protesters on Saturday.
  • A police officer's home in Auch was destroyed by fire.
  • Thousands of women reported severe menstrual pain linked to tear gas.

Sources (original reporting)

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