1K arrested in single day of French protests, authorities say

JON: RIGHT NOW NEARLY HALF A. MILLION PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING. ACROSS FRANCE, AND SOME OF THEM. ARE GETTING VIOLENT, THROWING. BOTTLES AND AND SETTING OFF. FIREWORKS. FRANCE HAS DEPLOYED 70,000. POLICE OFFICERS NATIONWIDE, AND. SOME ARE RESPONDING WITH TEAR. GAS AND WATER CANNONS. GREG PALKOT IS ON THE GROUND FOR. US IN PARIS. GREG. >> Reporteter: JON, WE ARE. LOOKING AT THE END OF A LONG AND. A WET SATURDAY OF PROTESTS HERE.

IN FRANCE AS POLICE SEEM TO HAVE. CONTAINED ONE TROUBLE SPOT. NEARBY WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, OVER. 400,000 PEOPLE TOOK TO THE. STREETS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AS. YOU NOTED, TO DEMONSTRATE. AGAINST GOVERNMENT POLICY AND, YES, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POLICE. WERE DEPLOYED. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SEE A RERUN. OF THE UGLY VIOLENCE SEEN HERE. LAST WEEKEND. A BIG MARCH AROUND THE EDGE OF. PARIS WENT OFF PEACEFULLY. IT JUST GOT NASTY AT THE FINISH. AS THAT HEAVY RAIN CAME DOWN.

TAKE A LOOK WHAT WE SAW, WHAT WE. HEARD. [INAUDIBLE CONVERSATIONS]. [BACKGROUND SOUNDS]. >> Reporter: WHAT YOU'RE. HOOKING AT IS POLICE CHARGING. INTO PROTESTERS ON THE EAST SIDE. OF PARIS. THEY HAVE HELD OFF FOR A LONG. TIME USING BOTTLES BEING THROWN, USING TEAR GAS BEING SHOT. AND TO YOUR RIGHT, JOHN, IF YOU. CAN JUST TURN, YOU'VE GOT THE. WATER CANNONS COMING OUT, TRYING.

TO DISPERSE THIS CROWD, ONE TO. IF FIRST OFFENSIVE ACTIVITIES. THERE WAS TROUBLE IN OTHER. CITIES TOO LIKE LYON AND. MARSEILLES. IN FACT, ANY PLACE WHERE MARCHES. WERE BANNED AND CITIZENS CAME. OUT ANYWAY RESULTED IN CLASHES. WITH POLICE. AUTHORITIES NOW CLAIM A THOUSAND. ARRESTS AMID SOME INJURIES AND. SOME DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, BUT SO. FAR AT LEAST THERE HASN'T BEEN. THE WIDESPREAD LOOTING AND. VANDALISM THAT HAPPENED LAST. WEEKEND BY HACK BLACK-HOODED, UM.

ULTRA-LEFT ACTIVISTS AND YOUNG. PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE. SHOPS, STORES AND BUSINESSES. WERE BOARDED UP ACROSS THE CITY, MUSEUMS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. SHUT DOWN. THE NIGHT THOUGH, JON, ISN'T. FINISHED YET. AGAIN WE'RE GETTING REPORTS. ACROSS PARIS AND IN OTHER CITIES. OF STORES, OF SHOPS BEING LOOTED. AS THEY WERE LAST WEEKENEND. SECURITY OFFICIALS, I THINK, ARE. HOPING THAT IN THIS PRETTY. TERRIBLE WEATHER, COLD, WET AND. WINDY, WILL HELP THEIR ADDED.

RANKS TO FEND OFF THE VANDALS. BACK TO YOU. JON: EVEN WETTER WHEN YOU GET. HIT WITH A WATER CANNON, GREG. >> Reporter: ABSOLUTEL.