Thousands of protesters hit the streets across cities in France on Saturday in what appear to be weekly nationwide protests that have seen security agents clash with demonstrators.

The protest coincided with Halloween, which inspired some protesters to wear masks and costumes—a move French authorities warned against.

Officers fired tear gas to disperse protesters in Paris in the afternoon, compelling protesters to push back. According to Paris Police, about 70,000 protesters were on the streets, down from the 110,000 who marched last Saturday.

In Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Rennes, police clashed with protesters amid protests. French authorities estimated the number of protesters to be about 320,000, down from 410,000 last week.

France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, had promised to deploy 70,000 police officers to curb violence and maintain law and order as people demonstrated.

Student-led protests over education reform have rocked France in recent months, igniting weekly protests.

Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Education shut down schools amid the protests. However, the students, now supported by activists and civil groups, have insisted on continuing.

“We are seeing numerous calls to gather coming from the far left, the radicalised extreme left, and from certain radicalised ‘yellow vests’ websites, which are urging people to attend rallies or public gatherings starting at 8 p.m. in many cities across France,” Mr Nuñez said at a news conference.