Police fire tear gas as new French demonstrations kick off

French police started firing tear gas at protesters Saturday as they stepped up security in major cities aiming to prevent a repeat of rioting a week ago, on a day of fresh nationwide demonstrations over the high cost of living.
Police in the southeast city of Lyon fired tear gas to disperse some 150 protesters near the city centre — where demonstrations had been banned — when they briefly tried to block a road, an AFP journalist saw.
Elsewhere, authorities and rattled shopkeepers geared up for potential new street violence.
Near Paris’s Bastille neighbourhood, a clothing store had removed all its merchandise from shelves ahead of the demonstrations, while a nearby restaurant was bo...