France has seen its third consecutive weekend of protests following student-initiated demonstrations that escalated into widespread unrest.

The number of protesters dropped somewhat as authorities banned rallies and marches in various locations and maintained tight security.

According to AFP and AP reports, demonstrations took place in Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes, and other locations with the participation of student and labor groups, as well as the "Yellow Vests" movement.

Some 150 protests were scheduled across France for this weekend.

The Interior Ministry estimated that 70,000 people participated in Paris and 320,000 nationwide.

By comparison, the protests on October 17, which involved looting and other unrest, drew an estimated 550,000 people according to police, while the rally on October 24 drew 410,000.

Police had arrested a total of 27 people as of 2:00 PM local time.

AFP reported that this was a significant drop compared to 217 arrests at the same time last weekend.

The French government deployed 70,000 police officers along with surveillance helicopters and drones to prepare for potential violence.

Police banned marches between the Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation in the heart of the city, permitting marches only in the outer districts.

Although a Paris administrative court overturned the ban the previous day, the Supreme Administrative Court reversed the decision on the morning of the protest, banning the marches once again.

Authorities are concerned that the protests, coinciding with Halloween, could degenerate into overnight violence.

Police imposed a nighttime curfew from 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM the following morning for this weekend in Place de la République and Châtelet-Les Halles, where rioting occurred on October 17.

The Interior Ministry warned that demonstrators hiding their faces under the cover of Halloween could face a fine of 150 euros.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated, "Using Halloween as an excuse is no legitimate reason to conceal one's face in public spaces."

The protests, which began last month when high school students demanded better educational conditions, have expanded into large-scale nationwide demonstrations denouncing broader social issues such as high inflation.

As the government responded with a hardline crackdown and serious injuries occurred, the rallies also grew into demands for civil liberties and the right to assemble.

Police checked 1,200 individuals in Paris alone to block the inflow of dangerous materials such as fireworks.

Gladys Betancourt, a 37-year-old content creator, told the AP, "We are not forgetting that this fight started for high school students," adding, "I think the protests are expressing broader social grievances."

Although the government has introduced educational improvements such as deploying more teachers to schools and revamping the online university admissions system, public discontent has not subsided.

Sabrine Carbakh, a spokesperson for the student union L'Union Étudiante, announced that high schools and universities would be blockaded on November 3 and 5, with students joining the labor sector's protests on November 5.

Labor organizations, including the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), have called for a general strike on November 5.

In neighboring Germany, youth protests were held for the first time following the unrest in France.

A youth group named GenZRegelt ("Gen Z Rules") held rallies across 34 cities under the slogan "Our future is in our hands."

By the afternoon of the protest, a total of approximately 184,000 people had registered online to participate.

Luxury stores in downtown Berlin, Frankfurt, and Hamburg suspended operations and covered their shop windows and entrances with plywood out of concern for potential looting.

Although marches were temporarily halted in some areas like Cologne due to protesters wearing masks and throwing fireworks, no large-scale clashes occurred.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)