Paris and other cities saw serious protest violence for a third Saturday in a row.
Police arrested 779 people across the country, and 116 police officers and gendarmes were injured.
In Paris, several hundred troublemakers attacked police with Molotov cocktails and paving stones at the end of the march near Porte de Charenton, on the city’s southeastern edge.
Police responded with tear gas, baton charges and watercannon.
In Lyon, masked thugs vandalized a tram station and hurled fireworks, stones and bottles at police at Place Jean-Mace, south of the city center, where a march ended. Police fired tear gas and arrested nine people.
Like the previous Saturday, the violence was serious but fell well short of the rioting and looting and rioting that swept many cities on 17 October, the first Saturday of countrywide protests over the high cost of living and other social and economic problems.
The deployment of 70,000 police and gendarmes and route restrictions on union-organized marches the past two Saturdays largely succeeded in keeping unrest out of city centers.
In Paris, the highest administrative court ahead of this past Saturday upheld a ban on a central route, confining the union march to the boulevards ringing the capital, between Porte de Bagnolet and Porte de Charenton.
Paris police also barred access to Place de la Republique and Les Halles, central districts popular with young people, from 2300 to 0600 on Saturday and Sunday nights.
Protesters turnout this past Saturday declined for a second consecutive weekend. Authorities counted 320,000 protesters nationwide, including 70,000 in Paris, down from 410,000 the previous Saturday.
But the protest movement shows no sign of abating, giving the thugs who have infiltrated marches cover to stoke further violence in coming weeks.
Five major unions, including the three largest confederations, have called a nationwide strike this Thursday, with marches expected in cities across the country.
Passenger train service is likely to be severely disrupted, including high-speed, inter-city and regional and commuter lines. The national railway company at 1700 on Wednesday will publish its list of trains expected to operate during the strike.
Flights may also be affected, after the union representing civil aviation authority staff, among them air traffic control personnel, called on its members to strike.
The protest movement and strike plans should be monitored closely to minimize disruption.
Personnel should steer clear of all demonstrations and under no circumstances should attempt to pass through protesters in a vehicle or on foot. Personnel should remain indoors if unrest erupts nearby.
They should comply with any curfews or emergency measures imposed.
Multinationals should review and if necessary upgrade access controls and should have contingency plans in place for aggressive protest-related activity.
