France, Nov. 1 -- On Saturday, clashes erupted in Paris and some other cities after hundreds of thousands of people staged a third weekend of protests against soaring living costs.

The Paris police prefecture said that several hundred rioters had attacked security forces with projectiles, including a Molotov cocktail. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has decried an "extraordinary" level of violence from some rioters.

"Explosive devices were thrown at around 15 gendarmes as well as police officers," the prosecutor's office said on Sunday.

Gendarmes are military police officers who are part of the French armed forces.

Prosecutors said an investigation had been opened for "attempted murder of persons vested with public authority".

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