Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested after clashes broke out following another day of mass protests across France, officials said. After demonstrations that were largely peaceful, police fired tear gas and water cannon late on Saturday in several cities, including Paris. Barricades were set alight in Marseille, and protesters ripped boards from a shop in Bordeaux. The interior ministry estimated 410,000 people protested on Saturday, while unions put the figure at about 800,000. About 70,000 police officers were deployed as restrictions were imposed in multiple cities to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s rioting and looting. In Paris, clashes erupted at the end of a peaceful march from Porte d’Italie to Porte de Vincennes. Police used an elite unit that usually deals with organised crime and counter-terrorism as some protesters erected makeshift barricades and pelted officers with projectiles. Police baton-charged groups of masked youths who were smashing the windows of a car dealership. In Marseille, rubbish bins were set ablaze and metal sheets were used to block streets. A law enforcement vehicle was seen driving through a burning barricade. In Bordeaux, protesters in dark clothing and face coverings took boards off a building to build a street barricade. In Lyon, tear gas grenades were used to disperse a crowd gathered in an area deemed off-limits. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said late on Saturday that nearly 1,000 people had been arrested, a number he said would increase. He also said two people were seriously injured, one in Toulouse and another in Clermont-Ferrand. President Emmanuel Macron had decreed earlier this week that only demonstrations organised by recognised trade unions would be permitted. Hundreds of people have already been jailed for vandalism, arson and looting after fast-track court hearings in recent days.