Nearly 1,000 arrested during protests across France — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Nearly 1,000 people were arrested as hundreds of thousands protested across France on Saturday, with clashes reported in several cities, officials said. The interior ministry estimated that 410,000 people took part in the demonstrations, while trade unions put the figure at around 800,000, the BBC reported. About 70,000 police officers were deployed to prevent unrest similar to that witnessed the previous weekend. Police fired tear gas and water cannon in Paris and other cities. Protesters set fire to barricades in Marseille and removed boards from a building in Bordeaux. In Lyon, police used tear gas to disperse a crowd gathered in a restricted area. In Paris, clashes erupted after a largely peaceful march, with masked protesters throwing projectiles at police and smashing car dealership windows. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said around 500 people identified as rioters were among several thousand radical activists at the rear of the march, AFP reported. Nuñez said nearly 1,000 people had been arrested and two people seriously injured, one in Toulouse and another in Clermont-Ferrand. The protests were driven by frustration over the cost of living and poor school conditions. Some demonstrators also criticised the government over poverty and police violence. Meanwhile, around 13,000 people attended a peaceful rally against the hard-right National Rally party in Orléans. Similar demonstrations took place elsewhere in…