World

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