The French government, on Saturday, deployed 70,000 police officers to prevent the vandalism and looting that characterised previous nationwide demonstrations for improved learning conditions and facilities in public schools.

No fewer than 135 people had been arrested by midday on Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said, noting that the chaos witnessed during last Saturday’s protests would not be repeated.

Thousands of youths gathered in Marseille, where police fired tear gas to disperse protesters, including adults, high school students and university students.

Paris was under lockdown, a huge disappointment to first-time tourists, some of whom were in the capital to watch a National Football League game between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The Louvre Museum was closed.

The protests, which began weeks ago over overcrowded classrooms, have since evolved into a broader movement demanding a lower cost of living and improved governance, as demonstrators, largely undergraduates, were joined by adults.

An attempt by President Emmanuel Macron to meet student leaders on Friday to quell the protests did not end well.

The student leaders were unhappy with the government’s offer. Consequently, they urged fellow pupils to occupy the streets until the government presented a better proposal.