A dense sea of demonstrators packed the southern edge of Paris on Saturday in a march that has remained peaceful so far, filling the boulevards with an uneasy festive mood despite fears of renewed unrest.
Elsewhere in France, police began dispersing unauthorised gatherings in Lyon and Nice, firing tear gas in Lyon as demonstrators defied local protest bans.
French authorities expect up to half a million people to hit the streets on Saturday across the country, matching the scale of the 550,000 who protested last weekend. The October 17 demonstrations descended into looting and the worst urban rioting France had seen in years.
For many young students who gathered in Paris on Saturday, the main message was for the government to understand their struggle, their demand for better education and the general population’s suffering amid the rising cost of living.