New French protests focus on children and police

France is holding its fifth consecutive Saturday of protests, as demonstrators bring together concerns about living costs, children’s rights and police powers. The rallies come amid a month of school blockades and public demonstrations, with next year’s presidential election approaching.

In Paris, Yellow Vest activists, pupils, unions and child-protection campaigners are expected to join protests against a bill giving police officers who use their weapons a presumption of legitimate self-defence. Supporters say it protects officers from automatic suspicion; opponents argue it could make accountability harder. Authorities counted about 146,000 protesters nationwide last Saturday, while a recent union-led strike drew more than 500,000, and unions have called another strike for Tuesday.