French police detained 135 people and used tear gas as protests against the rising cost of living spread across the country, with 70,000 security personnel deployed. Demonstrators also condemned restrictions on protests, while anti-Le Pen rallies underscored growing political tensions ahead of the elections. (PICS/AFP)

Protesters blocked the entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris on Monday as French authorities scrambled to contain public anger over the rising cost of living, following mass demonstrations that descended into some of the worst street violence in recent years over the weekend. (Pics and Text: AFP)