About 575,000 people took part in anti-rising-cost demonstrations across France on 5 November, according to the Interior Ministry, while police detained 448 people as protests turned violent in places. The ministry said 53 police officers were injured and firefighters made 86 callouts. Interior Ministry figures point to risk groups of several hundred radical and far-right activists forming in cities including Rennes, Marseille, Nantes, Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg. The trade union CGT put participation far higher, claiming nearly 1.6 million demonstrators. CGT said it will continue protests until the government and employers respond to demands on wages, public services, education conditions and social protection. In Paris, the protest march ran from Place de la République along Boulevard Voltaire to Place de la Nation. Police reported damage to property along the route by people wearing balaclavas. Near the end of the demonstration at Place de la Nation, clashes broke out and a fire was reported, with videos shared online by witnesses. Police used tear gas to push the crowd back so firefighters could put out the blaze. The Interior Ministry deployed 70,000 police and gendarmes nationwide to maintain order. Elsewhere on the same day, students and high school pupils also protested shortages in the education system. The government said nearly 10% of staff at state institutions were on strike, 4.6% at local authorities and nearly 4% at state hospitals, with rail, state hospital and postal workers also joining a wider action. France’s Interior Ministry said police have detained 4,914 people since the nationwide protest wave began on 17 October, with 329 still held in custody at the time of reporting. Category: violent disorder during protests, with arrests reported by the Interior Ministry.