NEWSSTAND AND CAR SET ON FIRE IN PARIS

PARIS, OCTOBER 17 /SRNA/ - A car and a newsstand were set on fire in Paris as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups of demonstrators; similar tensions erupted in other major cities across France over the rising cost of living and support for high school students.

The office of French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said an increasing number of violent incidents had been recorded, including attacks on police, looting or attempted break-ins at stores, and damage to government buildings.

Unrest was reported in several cities, including Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble, the AP reported.

French authorities reported at least 272 arrests across France, including in Paris.

Several hundred people joined peaceful protests, making their way toward northwestern Paris. The crowd sang the national anthem and waved flags, accompanied by trumpets and violins.

Police also prevented small groups of demonstrators from entering government buildings.

Metro stations were closed at the request of police, including those around the Champs-Élysées, near the presidential palace, parliament and other government offices.

In Lyon, France’s third-largest city, around 20,000 demonstrators joined the march, and a fire broke out inside the offices of the tourism organization. In Marseille, in southern France, several shops and a police station were damaged, and some demonstrators briefly entered the City Hall.

Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan told local media that the demonstrators’ behavior was unacceptable and that damage had been inflicted upon the City Hall.

Demonstrators across France responded to a call on social media to revive the Yellow Vests movement, which emerged in 2018 to protest social inj