French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says 1,200 people were detained during protests in France, with 150 police officers reported injured. He spoke on Saturday after visiting police in central Paris, calling it “a miracle” that the death toll had not been worse. The demonstrations drew hundreds of thousands of people in Paris and many other French cities about six months before the presidential elections. Protest organizers put the crowd at 800,000, while the Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 550,000 attended and around 400 people were detained. In Paris, protesters and security forces clashed around République Square. Riot police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators, who wore dark clothing and masks. Some protesters threw objects and fireworks. Police also used water cannon to break up violence. By noon (GMT) on Saturday, police said 133 people had been detained in Paris. Elsewhere, Marseille saw incidents after protesters, described by Mayor Benoît Payan as “vandals,” briefly entered the town hall. The mayor said more police would be deployed. In Limoges, masked protesters set fire to a historic municipal building more than 140 years old, causing large-scale damage, a local official said. Fires were also reported at the Grenoble city centre and a tourism office branch in Lyon. Two additional town halls in Marseille and Lille were reportedly raided and damaged. Authorities said the governor’s residence in Bordeaux was looted. In Lyon, police said masked groups threw objects and fireworks at officers in a central square. Officers responded with tear gas and water cannon. About 40 people were also said to have tried to stop traffic on a bridge. The prime minister’s comments came after reports of additional attacks in Paris, including around 100 protesters allegedly assaulting the headquarters of the CNews television channel. Legal status remains: protesters are detained, with officials reporting varying detention figures, and police actions and investigations continue in multiple cities.