Thousands of demonstrators marched through Paris on Saturday to protest rising prices and alleged police violence at earlier rallies, TASS reported. The march began at Place de la République to Place de la Nation, with some protesters calling to raise taxes for the wealthy.
The demonstration came as France’s parliament is weighing a bill that would create a legal presumption that police officers and gendarmes acted lawfully when using weapons. Issam el-Halfawi, a representative of the SAVE association, claimed that the measure could make allegations of misconduct harder to investigate and prove.
Student groups joined the march alongside activists carrying flags of left-wing parties and movements, with representatives criticizing cuts to some benefits for international students and insisting that university grants were too low.
TASS said turnout appeared lower than at the Nov. 5 demonstration organized by trade unions. Major unions did not organize Saturday’s march and have scheduled their own rallies for Nov. 17, the same day as nationwide strikes.
Ahead of the protest, France’s Interior Ministry warned of a high risk of unrest, and police and gendarmes in riot gear moved along streets adjoining the march route.