UPDATE 2 - Protesters clash with police, nearly 1,000 arrested amid mass protests across France

​​​​​​​CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; ADDS DETAILS ON INJURIES, ARRESTS; UPDATES NATIONAL ARREST FIGURE

By Seyma Erkul Dayanc

ISTANBUL (AA) - Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that nearly 1,000 people were arrested in France during demonstrations on Saturday, on the second straight weekend of mass protests, as clashes with police, looting, and vandalism were reported in numerous cities.

The Loire-Atlantique prefecture reported that shops were being looted in Nantes, and said six people had been arrested.

In Grenoble, the Isere prefecture said around 400 masked individuals dressed in black bloc clothing were causing damage and had attacked police with mortars and projectiles. Police were attempting to apprehend those involved and restore order.

The demonstration in Grenoble was organized by the CGT trade union and the Yellow Vest movement, according to the prefecture.

Shopfronts were smashed in central Grenoble, and businesses including a real estate agency and a temporary employment agency were attacked, according to media reports.

In Bordeaux, the Gironde prefecture said “hostile groups” were targeting security forces, throwing projectiles, and setting up barricades at Place de la Bourse. It urged residents to avoid the area.

In Lille, projectiles were thrown at riot police as tensions escalated, according to journalists reporting from the scene. Police used water cannons against demonstrators.

The Nord prefecture estimated that 15,000 people had joined the demonstration in Lille and called on participants to leave the area peacefully.

Authorities reported 30 arrests in the Nord department by 3 pm local time (1300GMT), including 25 in Lille.

Police also seized numerous weapons, including hunting knives, butterfly knives, and airsoft guns.

Curfews for unaccompanied minors in designated areas of Lille, Denain, Douai, and Wattignies were extended until Monday morning and expanded to parts of Marly and Valenciennes.

The measures run from 8 pm to 6 am and apply from Friday evening through Monday morning, according to a prefectural order published Friday.

In Nice, 11 people described by authorities as far-right individuals, were arrested following an attack on demonstrators, according to the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture.

Three were injured. The prefecture later reported 61 arrests in the city by 7 pm local time (1700GMT), as police dispersed demonstrators and the group left the Old Town.

-Paris, Marseille, Rhone, Lyon

In Paris, the police prefecture estimated that 110,000 people had joined the demonstration, matching the figure reported for the previous week.

Police later used water cannons against demonstrators in the capital. Individuals also vandalized the windows of a car dealership on Cours de Vincennes.

Authorities reported that more than 3,000 checks had been carried out in Paris and 65 people had been arrested. Trade union turnout figures for the demonstrations in Paris and Lille were not yet available.

In Marseille, tensions rose during a confrontation between police and demonstrators, with officers using tear gas. Firefighters also extinguished a fire near the march, according to local media.

The CGT trade union estimated that 100,000 people took part in the Marseille demonstration, compared to 17,000, according to the prefecture. The union put nationwide turnout at 800,000 and called for a strike on Nov. 5.

Police used tear gas as a demonstration moved toward Place de la Republique in Rennes, while the Rhone prefecture estimated that 10,000 people had gathered in Lyon.

The Rhone prefecture later reported 36 arrests and 22 injured in Lyon, including 18 members of the security forces. Three businesses were also damaged, it said.

In Lyon, the prefecture reported 29 arrests by 6 pm (1600GMT), including people suspected of weapons and drug possession and participation in an unlawful gathering, according to local newspaper Le Progres.

No demonstrations had been authorized in the city.

In Chambery, clashes broke out between police and groups described by the Savoie prefecture as violent, as demonstrators blocked the city's urban expressway.

In Orleans, where the National Rally (RN) was holding its congress, the mayor announced 12 arrests following the day's demonstrations.

The city hall separately reported three arrests linked to the demonstration against the RN and 10 arrests outside the urban area.

In Seine-Maritime, 7,160 people took part in demonstrations, according to the prefecture, compared with 15,000 on Oct. 17. Authorities reported tensions in Rouen but no damage to shops in Rouen or Le Havre.

Nunez said two people were seriously injured during Saturday's demonstrations, one in Clermont-Ferrand and the other in Toulouse. He also said police intervened against groups accused of throwing projectiles and firing mortars at security forces.

Şeyma Erkul Dayanç