France, Oct. 31 -- Turnout at ​the protests stood at ​320,000 ‌nationwide, with about 70,000 in Paris, ⁠the interior ministry said Saturday - fewer than in previous protests.

However, the youth trade union coalition put the number at nearly half a million, including 200,000 in Paris.

Some 70,000 police and gendarmes were deployed across the country, and Paris marches were rerouted to the outskirts of the capital.

During the afternoon, thousands of people, some wearing costumes ranging from Spider-Man to Frankenstein, walked through eastern Paris to demonstrate against soaring prices, inequality and police violence, as a helicopter flew overhead.

Placards read: "No need for tear gas to make our future look bleak...