French riot police face off with youth and high school students during a protest against the French government's reform plan, in Bordeaux, France, December 6, 2018
France's government on Friday defended the tactics of riot police who forced several dozen detained high-school students to kneel in rows with their hands held behind their heads or in handcuffs after violent protests west of Paris.
Students this week have been blocking access to scores of high schools across France in protest at President Emmanuel Macron's education reforms, just as the 40-year-old leader grapples with sometimes-violent demonstrations over living costs.
Videos and photos of the students from two high schools in Val Fourre, a deprived neighbourhood outside Mantes-La-Jolie, 60 kilometres west of Paris, went viral on social media late on Thursday, prompting public outrage.
Global trade tensions will weigh on global growth in the coming months, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday, urging China to play an important role in WTO reform"The trade war that we are seeing will have an important and negative impact on global growth in the coming months," Le Maire told journalists after talks with Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua.France was willing to work with China on reform of the World Trade Organisation and there is "a lot" that Beijing could do on the issue, he added. 
Trade war to weigh on global growth in coming months: French FinMin
"Over the past few days, the students have been joined by about 100 hooded youths armed with clubs and incendiary devices and determined to pick a fight with police," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told a news conference.
Castaner said roadblocks had been set alight, projectiles hurled at motorists and houses robbed in the area around the two schools.
"It is in this context that the security forces stepped in," the minister added.
No students were injured while detained in the Val Fourre incident, French media reported.
But some social media users said the scene, with some of the teenagers lined up facing a wall, resembled a mock mass-execution.
"Can anyone tell me if they've witnessed such a thing in the last 50 years," one Twitter user said.
France hunkered down for another wave of potentially violent protests on Saturday as under-fire President Emmanuel Macron planned to address the nation next week over public anger at the cost of living, senior allies said.Much of Paris will be in lockdown and tens of thousands of police deployed across the nation to contain what protesters are billing as 'Act IV' to the 'yellow vest' rebellion that has seen the worst unrest in the capital since 1968 student riots.Navigating his biggest crisis since being elected, Macron has left it largely to his prime minister, Edouard Philippe, to deal in public with the turmoil and offer concessions.But the 40-year-old is under mounting pressure to speak more fully as his administration tries to regain the initiative following three weeks of unrest in the G7 nation.France braces for more violence over high living costs"The President will speak early next week. I think this is what the French people want, they want answers," Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne told Sud Radio on Friday."The President will send a message to the French that he is listening to their anger (...) and that new answers have obviously to be found."Protesters want Macron to go further on easing the budgets of hard-pressed households: an increase to the minimum wage is one demand. But the president, mindful of the country's deficit and not wanting to flout EU rules, will have little wriggle room for more concessions.Scrapping next year's hikes to fuel taxes, the first major U-turn of his presidency, has already cost the Treasury 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion).Macron administration warns of 'great violence' in Paris from hard core 'yellow vests'"SMASHING THINGS UP"The Eiffel Tower, opera house, and Louvre are among dozens of museums and tourist sites that will close on Saturday.Authorities have also ordered shut scores of luxury boutiques, restaurants and private businesses on the Champs Elysees avenue and around the presidential palace.The trouble is jeopardising a timid economic recovery in France. Small retailers saw revenue fall 20-40 percent last Saturday, and hotel reservations are down 15-25 percent.Patrick Delmas, 49, will be closing his bar "Le Monte Carlo" next to the Champs Elysees on Saturday, blaming hoodlums from anarchist and anti-capitalist groups, as well as the yellow vest movement's violent fringe.France cancels fuel tax hikes amid protests"We have lost 60 percent of business over the last 15 days," he said. "The problem is all those people who arrive with the sole intention of smashing things up."The protests, named after the high visibility vests French motorists carry in their cars, erupted in November due to the impact on family budgets of already raised fuel taxes.Reminiscent of Spain's anti-austerity "Indignados" movement in 2011, the French protests swiftly grew into a broad rebellion against the government, but without formal leaders.Their diverse demands include lower taxes, higher salaries, cheaper energy, better retirement provisions and even Macron's resignation.France could change position on wealth tax, Macron ally suggestsMacron's government has this week offered a rush of sweeteners to soothe public anger, beginning with Philippe's climb-down on fuel taxes. Yet all signs are that the government has failed to quell the revolt.Some 89,000 policemen will be on duty to stop a repeat of last Saturday's mayhem. About 8,000 of them are to be deployed in Paris where rioters last weekend torched cars, looted shops and defaced the Arc de Triomphe with anti-Macron graffiti.Another weekend of violence may raise doubts over the durability of Macron's prime minister, though aides to Macron and Philippe say there is no discord between them.
France braces for trouble, Macron to address 'yellow vest' anger
Another tweet read: "These images of teenagers on their knees at the feet of CRS (riot police) are unworthy of a democracy. The government needs to take charge and re-establish chains of command."
Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer described the images as "shocking" but said the violence convulsing France in recent weeks justified the heavy-handed policing.
France is hunkering down for another wave of potentially violent protests on Saturday as Macron struggles to quell public anger at the cost of living. Senior allies said he would address the nation early next week.