135 Arrested During Cost-of-Living Protests; New Arrests in Paris Attack Probe

French police arrested 135 people and seized weapons and dangerous tools on Saturday during security operations for protests against the high cost of living, while the specialized anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office announced the detention of three additional suspects as part of the investigation into a shooting attack that occurred on Friday near Paris.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the seized items included ammunition, fireworks, crowbars, metal balls, and homemade weapons, emphasizing that no “major incidents” had been recorded up to the time of his statement.

Several regions in France witnessed new protests on Saturday against the high cost of living, amid fears of a recurrence of the violence and looting seen during the October 17 demonstrations.

Authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police and gendarmes, an increase of nearly 20 percent compared to the previous week, with orders to prevent a resurgence of street violence.

In a separate development, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office announced on Saturday the detention of three additional individuals believed to be members of the suspect’s family or friends, as part of the investigation into the shooting near Paris.

Police had detained a person from the suspect’s inner circle shortly after the attack, which took place on Friday.

Authorities declined to provide further details about the detainees, and media reports claiming that the suspect’s mother, aged 39, was among them remained unconfirmed.

One person was killed and at least five others, including a 12-year-old girl, were injured when a gunman opened fire from a vehicle at three locations in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière. The suspect was arrested shortly after the shooting.