Police arrest 350 people in riots late Sunday in Paris

Police detained 350 people after violent clashes with young rioters in central Paris Sunday evening after hooligans and extreme-right militants infiltrated an otherwise peaceful demonstration, security sources said Monday. The Police Prefecture had deployed 4,500 officers - many of them riot police braced for trouble - as four different corteges congregated at the central Invalides Esplanade to protest a new law allowing same-sex marriage. The march mobilized 150,000 demonstrators, the Prefecture said, but organizers said that over one million people turned out for the protest, which included families and children. Traditionally, police and organizer figures vary widely and a relatively objective evaluation of the size of the protest would be in the middle of the two estimates, or around 550,000 people, which is very significant. The government is accused of having railroaded the same-sex marriage legislation without adequate consultation with opponents in and outside parliament. The bill permitting same-sex marriage was signed by President Francois Hollande 10 days ago and the first of such marriages is programmed for later this week in the city of Montpelier. The rioting began around 21:00 hours when many people had dispersed. Police said several hundred youths started to stone officers and break windows around the Foreign Ministry and other official buildings after the demonstration ended. The rioters also attacked journalists and photographers, injuring one photographer. Of the 350 arrested Sunday night, 250 were still in custody on Monday. Police meanwhile said 36 officers were wounded, along with one protester and a journalist.