France in chaos as demonstrator picks up grenade in violent protest scenes

Resumen detallado

Public-sector unions are now planning further strike action on November 17 after the Government postponed purchasing-power negotiations until December.

France has been rocked by weeks of demonstrations and violent clashes, with police facing attacks in Paris and Marseille as unrest continues to spread across the country. Dramatic footage from Lyon has also captured a protester picking up a grenade as law enforcement officers attempted to secure the device during a tense confrontation at Saturday's march.

The incident comes as demonstrations take place across France for a fifth consecutive Saturday, with authorities deploying 70,000 police officers and gendarmes amid fears of further violence. Up to 60 marches were expected nationwide on November 14, according to French broadcaster BFMTV, with between 30,000 and 60,000 demonstrators anticipated in Paris alone.

The French capital has been a major flashpoint during the unrest. During demonstrations on October 31, masked protesters threw projectiles at police, who responded with tear gas and baton charges. One officer was struck by a Molotov cocktail, leaving three officers with burns. More than 500 people were arrested nationwide that day, according to French authorities.

Marseille has also witnessed serious disorder, with police and businesses targeted during successive demonstrations. During the major outbreak of violence on October 17, shops were looted and public buildings attacked. The local authorities reported that 317 businesses were ransacked. Further trouble followed on October 31, when rubbish bins were set alight and projectiles thrown at police. Nineteen officers were injured during the disturbances, according to the local prefecture.

The protests began in September with students demonstrating over deteriorating conditions in schools but have since developed into a wider movement against the cost of living, public services and government policy. The unrest escalated dramatically on October 17, when more than half a million people demonstrated nationwide, according to earlier reports.

Public-sector unions are now planning further strike action on November 17…

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