Paris shuts Louvre and other museums as police deploy in big numbers for new protests across France

PARIS — Thousands of students and workers marched in Paris and other French cities Saturday over school funding and soaring living costs.

Police used tear gas in Lyon, where the rally had been banned, on Saturday morning. In Clermont-Ferrand, officers used tear gas and stun grenades to push back demonstrators trying to reach the city center, French media reported.

Authorities had confined the Paris march to the city’s southeastern edge, away from the center. Several thousand people marched from Porte d’Italie early in the afternoon, a smaller crowd than a week earlier. Trade unions led the procession, followed by protesters in raincoats carrying flags and handmade placards.

Authorities sought to prevent another weekend of looting, burned cars and attacks on public buildings. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said up to 70,000 officers would be deployed nationwide, backed by helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons.

Thousands also marched Saturday in Orléans, south of Paris, in a separate peaceful protest against the far right as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally held a two-day congress in the city.

What began last month as a protest over staff shortages at one high school southeast of Paris has grown into a national movement. Students demanding better…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business