'Fighting for our rights': Paris protesters determined to march on / Photo: Sameer AL-DOUMY - AFP
'Fighting for our rights': Paris protesters determined to march on
Huddled beneath a tram stop shelter as rain fell and tear gas drifted through the streets of Paris, a group of university students looked on with dismay on Saturday as largely peaceful protests ended in clashes with police.
Among them was Mike, a 23-year-old student who had joined the demonstration to protest what he sees as France's failure to address young people's concerns.
"We feel we're being neglected by France's ageing population," said Mike, who declined to give his surname.
But as protesters fired fireworks towards law enforcement officers, who responded with charges and baton strikes, he and his friends grew frustrated with the police response.
"Look around, they're just teenagers. Is it normal for teenagers to be tear-gassed and beaten with batons?" he asked.
For Jessica, a 24-year-old student who also declined to give her surname, the police actions raised deeper concerns about the right to protest.
"I just don't understand why there's so much violence," she said.
"I feel like our right to protest is being trampled on."
Some 70,000 security personnel were deployed across France on Saturday after rioting a week earlier raised questions about the government's preparedness for fresh demonstrations.
In Paris, between 110,000 and 250,000 people joined the main march, according to estimates from authorities and the organising CGT union.
The movement began in late September with secondary school students protesting over learning conditions before spreading nationwide as anger over the rising cost of living drew broader support.
-'Killed our future'-
At the start of Saturday's demonstration, French pop music blared from speakers and protesters chanted slogans as the march wound through eastern Paris in a festive atmosphere.
Several people stopped to laugh and photograph a sign held by Lorelei Van der Poel featuring South Park cartoon characters and the words "They killed our future, you bastards" -- a play on a famous line from the show.
Residents leaned out of apartment windows to cheer on the marchers, who roared back as impromptu dance circles sprang up in the streets.
But the mood soured at the end of the march, where rows of police officers and vans awaited the crowd.
Police repeatedly charged protesters, many of them young, using tear gas and batons, an AFP journalist witnessed.
David, a protester who gave only his first name, appeared shaken and had a gash on his face, which he said was caused by a police officer throwing a baton at him.
"The police started moving towards everyone, telling them to get down and back off. They were just taking people down, you know, beating protesters," he said.
As night fell, police began clearing the streets and protesters started to disperse.
For Jessica, the violence was disheartening but had not shaken her determination to keep protesting.
"I'm not worried about the future because I believe we're united as a country and we're all fighting for our rights."
Her friend Bryan, 24, was equally determined.
"If we have to come every Saturday, we'll be here every Saturday," he said.
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