Paris: Nearly 1,000 people were arrested across France on Saturday during protests over the rising cost of living, Interior Minister. He said police faced “an extremely elevated level of violence” from black-clad extremists, AFP reported. Nuñez said most of the marches were peaceful, but “ultra-left” groups threw objects and fired fireworks at police, leading to clashes in several cities. In Toulouse, a 20-year-old man reportedly lost fingers in an explosion.