French protest arrests fall as schools prepare to reopen after third weekend of marches

French authorities reported fewer arrests and less severe damage after a third weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education, but officials warned on Sunday that tensions could return when schools reopen. The protests have brought together young people and workers around concerns that include education facilities, low wages, housing costs and the price of daily necessities.

Police arrested 779 people during Saturday’s demonstrations, the government said, down from 1,314 the previous weekend and 2,628 on October 17. About 70,000 officers were deployed around the country. The lower arrest count offered a sign that the latest marches were less violent overall, though clashes still injured officers and damaged property in Paris.

In the capital, police said three officers were injured after rioters threw Molotov cocktails at the end of a march near the city’s eastern edge. A car was set on fire. Elsewhere, masked groups launched fireworks at police near the Eiffel Tower, prompting repeated police charges and sending visitors running. Authorities reported isolated damage to shops but no major destruction comparable to the worst scenes of earlier weekends.

The demonstrations began around student complaints and expanded into broader anger about living costs. Protesters told The Associated Press about problems including rodents in classrooms, low-paid work and the cost of fuel. Some groups have called for school blockades as the autumn break ends. A nationwide general strike affecting trains and public services was also expected on Thursday, with students and unions demanding higher wages and other measures.

President Emmanuel Macron’s government was focusing on that planned strike and negotiations with unions, an official close to the president told AP. The official described Saturday’s protest as a return to order but acknowledged that the situation remained unsettled. The source was not authorized to speak publicly by name.

In Germany, more than 100,000 mostly young people marched peacefully on Saturday, calling for more public investment in education, housing and climate protection and for a more affordable daily life. Some demonstrations later turned into riots. In Frankfurt, police said more than 100 officers were injured, 54 people aged 13 to 29 were detained, 17 stores were damaged and five were looted. The situation had calmed by early Sunday.

Organizers of the German marches said they rejected violence and distanced themselves from people who attacked police or looted shops. Similar demonstrations across Europe were largely peaceful, although Portugal’s police removed protesters who had camped in central Lisbon during a housing protest. Authorities’ challenge now is to address the grievances that brought crowds into the streets while protecting public safety and allowing lawful demonstrations to continue.

The next test in France is whether schools reopen without large-scale blockades and whether Thursday’s strike remains peaceful. The fall in arrests suggests the most recent weekend was less chaotic than the earlier marches, but it does not show that the movement has lost momentum or that its economic and education demands have been resolved.