Thousands gather in Paris to protest rising living costs, poor teaching conditions

By Seyma Erkul Dayanc

ISTANBUL (AA) - Thousands of people gathered at Porte d'Italie in Paris on Saturday to protest rising living costs and poor teaching conditions, as police stepped up security measures following violence during demonstrations last weekend.

The march began at Porte d'Italie after authorities changed the route at short notice. Demonstrators were due to proceed to Porte de Vincennes along the city's outer boulevards.

Student and high school unions have called for more permanent teaching positions, additional university places, improved support for students with disabilities, and a national plan to renovate school buildings.

Union representatives, meanwhile, have demanded the abolition of Parcoursup, France's university admissions platform, and called for concrete measures to address problems in the education system.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 35,000 people had taken part in demonstrations nationwide by 1 pm (1100GMT) on Saturday, compared with 60,000 at the same time a week earlier.

He also reported 135 arrests and said there had been no major incidents at that point.

Nunez said security measures had been significantly reinforced, with extensive checks carried out in major cities and on roads.

More than 1,000 checks had taken place in the Paris region, and authorities seized items including fireworks, lead pellets and airsoft weapons, he said.

Ahead of the demonstrations, businesses across Paris boarded up their storefronts as a precaution following last weekend's violence, looting and property damage.

On the Champs-Elysees, most shops were heavily barricaded, although some remained open.

The atmosphere in the area was calm, with police car sirens among the few sounds heard on the largely deserted avenue.

The Paris City Hall also announced preventive measures, including removing street furniture and other objects that could be used to damage property, deploying municipal police and mobilizing more than 1,000 sanitation workers to clean streets and repair damaged public spaces.

The demonstrations followed a week of unrest and damage in several French cities. Authorities imposed restrictions on rallies in some locations and increased security deployments ahead of Saturday's mobilization.

Şeyma Erkul Dayanç