France: 1.314 arrested during protests across the country

Graffiti marks otherwise calm Paris streets the morning after large-scale cost-of-living protests across the country. According to the Interior Ministry, over 400,000 people came out nationwide to voice their discontent on Saturday. Labour unions reported the turnout at 800,000. Many Parisians say that these latest demonstrations were a success. There wasn't any serious damage or looting. None of that happened. So I'd say it was a good demonstration. Exactly one week earlier, France was shaken by the worst looting and rioting it had seen in years, on the sidelines of ongoing protests. In response, the government has cracked down on the movement, banning or restricting demonstrations in several cities and increasing police presence. It's good that there were fewer incidents. What happened before really shocked me. Shops were vandalized and I just don't see the point. Here in Marseille, fallout from post-demonstration clashes with police remains more apparent, as street sweepers work to clean up the city's public spaces. According to the Interior Ministry, law enforcement responded to 75 fires during Saturday's protests. Dozens of shops were looted nationwide, and over 1,300 people were arrested. Protests show no signs of stopping. Organizers and labor unions have called for further demonstrations on October 31st, as well as a nationwide strike on November 5th. Police unions warned the government on Sunday that they do not have enough staff to maintain high levels of deployment for any extended period of time.