France protests escalate as police fire tear gas

Despite trade union objections, the Paris police prefecture did not change the route it approved for the capital's demonstration.

The Paris police prefecture says around 110,000 people joined the protest. The march in the capital is currently proceeding without incident.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, praised demonstrators on social media for their excellent discipline. He called the event the largest demonstration since the movement began and took part in it himself.

Meanwhile, tensions were unavoidable in other French cities. In Lyon, Nice, Lille, Toulouse, and Nantes, riot police used tear gas against demonstrators. The incidents came just hours after Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the authorities would not tolerate violence or public disorder.

In Lille, protesters began throwing various objects at law enforcement officers. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons. Water cannons were also deployed in Nantes, where looters ransacked a jewelry store.

According to the latest figures, more than 400,000 people took to the streets of French cities on October 24.

RBC-Ukraine previously reported that protesters in France were demanding President Emmanuel Macron's resignation.