So much for Macron having the situation under control.

Violent clashes spread to Paris on Saturday as protesters hurled projectiles at police, forcing officers to deploy tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds.

And the violence came despite President Emmanuel Macron's government mobilizing some 70,000 security personnel to prevent a repeat of last weekend's widespread rioting.

According to the Associated Press, the French Interior Ministry estimated that approximately 410,000 demonstrators took to the streets nationwide Saturday.

The French government claims that these are "student protests" over rising living costs, deteriorating public services and government policies. However, there have been numerous videos capturing north African and Middle Eastern migrants rioting and looting stores.

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French newspaper Le Monde reported on Saturday that protesters threw projectiles at police near Porte de Vincennes, prompting officers to respond with tear gas and a water cannon.

That is not a “mostly peaceful” protest.

Meanwhile, after Macron told local shop owners in Paris to provide their own security, implying that the police could not keep them safe, security was ramped up outside of his own residence.

As economist Julio Goldestein noted, “France has one of the highest tax burdens in the OECD and now tells shop owners to pay for their own security. So what exactly are they paying for?”

Paris police reported 65 arrests in the capital, where an estimated 110,000 people participated in Saturday's march.

The disorder was hardly confined to Paris. Clashes also broke out in Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Nantes and other French cities.

In Lyon, thousands marched despite restrictions on demonstrations, with police deploying armored vehicles and tear gas. In Nantes, demonstrators pushed into an area where gatherings had been prohibited, triggering confrontations with law enforcement.

In Bordeaux, masked protesters reportedly erected barricades and threw objects at officers.

The nationwide arrests had already reached 135 by early Saturday afternoon, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. That figure was an early count, not a final tally.

The French government had good reason to prepare for the worst. As RedState previously reported, Macron announced restrictions on demonstrations after the October 17 protests descended into widespread violence, looting and destruction.

Macron has blamed much of the violence on radical left-wing groups and criminals exploiting the demonstrations.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have publicly criticized France's immigration and integration policies, arguing that European leaders have failed to address the social consequences.

The unrest has also spread beyond France, although the protests in neighboring countries have different immediate causes. In Brussels, Belgian police clashed with demonstrators. Officers used tear gas and pepper spray, while some protesters piled scooters and bicycles together and attempted to set them on fire.

In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government deployed an additional 500 soldiers to Milan amid fears of renewed unrest following last weekend's looting.

As France approaches its presidential election in 2027, Macron cannot seek another consecutive term.

National Rally’s Marine Le Pen or Javier Bardella are clearly the political beneficiaries of the chaos, and the riots will surely fuel their momentum ahead of next year’s presidential elections.