Event: Paris

Demonstrators take part in a protest organized by student collectives and trade unions in Paris on Thursday. | REUTERS France is still cleaning up after demonstrations on Oct. 16 that escalated into three days of rioting and looting, damaging more than 3,000 businesses and resulting in more than 2,500 arrests. The protests, led by students demanding improvements to the education system, resumed this past weekend, but with less arson and property damage, partly due to curfews in some areas.Japanese media have reported on the unrest largely as a matter of fact, but I have found little analysis of its broader significance or potential impact on France, Europe, the United States and Japan. Although it may be too early to draw conclusions, the events remind me, as someone who lived through the 1960s and 1970s, of the old adage that history does not repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes.Large-scale protests are hardly unusual in France. Since World War II, the French Republic has seen at least four major waves of civil unrest. Analyzing how these past demonstrations compare with today’s crisis may shed some much-needed light on the current political landscape. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. SUBSCRIBE NOW

Police have clashed with protesters in Paris as some demonstrations in France turned violent on Saturday. A largely peaceful day of protests turned into unrest after nightfall, as protesters were seen throwing objects and fireworks at police. Around 70,000 officers were deployed across France for a second consecutive weekend and used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. The Interior Ministry estimated around 400,000 people took part in Saturday's demonstrations, with nearly 1,000 arrests made. Europe correspondent Nick Beake reports from Paris, where he says there are few signs the unrest will ease soon.