Emmanuel Macron's government deploys 70,000 police officers as France braces for a third week of intense protests amid over $1 billion in losses.

The interior ministry estimated that 320,000 people had demonstrated nationwide, a smaller number than the previous two Saturdays. The police and protesters clashed in Paris and other cities.

Massive protests have swept across France since mid-September as students have rallied against the country’s education system and rising living costs. But the chaos could be a boon for France’s more extreme parties before next year’s elections.

There were hundreds of arrests as protesters took to the streets in cities across France for the third weekend in a row.

Major museums including the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Picasso Museum and Grand Palais - where a Cézanne exhibit is on display - are closed Saturday. Art Basel, one of the world's most prestigious contemporary art fairs, opened to the public Friday, but only for the day, with the threat of unrest prompting organizers to cancel the weekend program.

Officers have clashed with protesters in France as demonstrations sweep the country and at least 100 people are detained. Follow for the latest updates.

Demonstrations also taking place in Germany, where officers fire teargas to disperse crowds as evening falls

France just voted to bill Netflix, Google, and Meta by the gigabyte, and the revenue estimate runs into the billions. Whether it survives the Senate and a potential White House response is another matter entirely.

The ratings agency Fitch has downgraded its outlook for France from stable to negative, while maintaining its A+ rating. The agency cited weaker growth, higher borrowing costs and a wider deficit as key reasons behind the move.

Lucas Petit was just 11 when hundreds of thousands of men and women wearing yellow vests poured onto the streets and occupied roundabouts across France in November 2018.