France Detains Nearly 1,000 Amid Protests

French authorities closed Paris museums and deployed about 70,000 police and gendarmes Saturday as hundreds of thousands marched nationwide. The Interior MinistryMinistry of the InteriorFrench ministry counted about 410,000 protesters while the CGTGeneral Confederation of Labour (France)French trade federation union estimated about 800,000; police detained nearly 1,000 people, more than last weekend. The protests began over staff shortages and poor conditions at a high school near Paris, then widened into demands for better education, higher wages and cost-of-living relief. Authorities kept the Paris march on the southeastern edge and limited rallies elsewhere, saying the curbs reduced violence risks. Interior Minister Laurent NuñezLaurent NuñezFrench official and politician (born 1964) said no public buildings were targeted, compared with last weekend’s attacks. The Louvre closed, and police used tear gas at the endpoint.