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LYON - Officials have banned "all protests" in France's third-biggest city of Lyon on Saturday, ahead of nationwide demonstrations that day following rallies last weekend that descended into widespread street violence.
The prefecture for the Rhone region said on Thursday in a statement to media that, "given the events of October 17, the prefect has decided to ban by decree all protests in the city of Lyon this Saturday, October 24".
Lyon, like Paris and other French cities, suffered clashes and looting when masked youths took to city centre streets on the sidelines of mass rallies protesting high inflation.
The mayor of Lyon, Gregory Doucet, has said that his city experienced hours of "chaos" during the riots, with between 150 and 200 shops looted and a tourist office torched. Police arrested some 200 people.
The organisers of the rallies, the Yellow Vest movement and unions, have called for another round of nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living on Saturday, and a general strike and demonstrations on November 5.
French officials who found themselves unable to contain last weekend's violence this week ordered three nights of curfews in parts of Paris, Lyon and some other cities to protect shopping districts. - AFP
