Violent protests broke out across France, resulting in hundreds of arrests, looting, and destruction in several cities during demonstrations reportedly called against high inflation and the cost of living.
France on Sunday woke up to devastated streets after clashes between police and protesters amid marches against rising costs of living, news agency AFP reported.
This unrest followed weeks of student protests over several alleged issues, including school conditions and teacher shortages.
Deep Dive
Why were people protesting in France, and what role did the Yellow Vest movement play?
Which French cities and businesses were hit by looting and damage?
How many people were arrested in France’s protests, and how many joined the demonstrations?
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What is happening in France?
Saturday's demonstrations in France were reportedly called by the Yellow Vest movement to protest high inflation and the rising cost of living.
"We're sick of slaving away for poverty wages while our rents keep going up," teacher Regine Monfroid told AFP. But there were other issues as well.
The unrest and major damage:
Paris and other cities, including Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Nice, and Marseille, had many shops attacked.
The city of Limoges lost its 19th-century town hall to a fire; the local prefect, Maurice Barate, told LCI television that "a wild horde" had set it, the report added.
{{/usCountry}}The city of Limoges lost its 19th-century town hall to a fire; the local prefect, Maurice Barate, told LCI television that "a wild horde" had set it, the report added.
{{/usCountry}}In Paris, tourists were seen on Saturday running with suitcases along streets filled with tear gas and demonstrators, it said.
1,800 arrested in France:
According to France's interior minister Laurent Nunez, 1,800 individuals were arrested.
Around "1,800 people have been arrested and now investigations are under way to identify the perpetrators of these acts so they can be brought to justice", Nunez said in an X post on Sunday.
The violence took place amid nationwide cost-of-living protests that the interior ministry said were attended by 5,50,000 people. Meanwhile, the CGT union said the turnout was 8,00,000, as reported by AFP.
Around 1,500 shops and retailers damaged in protests:
Nearly 1,500 shops and retailers were damaged in French protests on the weekend, AFP reported, citing the head of a group representing the sector.
What the French leaders said
Amid the widespread chaos, French interior minister Nunez said on X that "nothing can justify" attacking law enforcement, degrading public buildings, and looting businesses.
"Attacking our law enforcement forces, targeting our institutions, degrading public buildings, breaking into prefectures or town halls, looting businesses: nothing can justify it," the leader said.
"In the wake of this October 17 day, which in some cities continued very late, I warmly thank and offer my full support to the police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters who, across France, intervened under extreme conditions," the post added.
Blaming the far-left for the violence, the minister added, "From midday onward—in Marseille from the morning—outrages were committed by several thousand far-left individuals determined to target our public buildings and confront our law enforcement forces. Later, they were joined by delinquents who looted and ransacked numerous businesses in several cities in France: Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice, Limoges, … and many others."
"At this stage, more than 500 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters have been injured in these scenes of violence. This health toll is unfortunately only provisional. The material damage is considerable, notably for several hundred merchants," Nunez emphasised.
"The Republic will yield nothing to those who seek to impose disorder and violence", Nunez asserted.
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According to AFP, Paris deputy mayor Lamia El Aaraje said that the capital experienced "a level of violence that we have never, I believe, seen before."
France's President Emmanuel Macron posted on X on Saturday, "No room for violence in our Republic."
"Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished. To the law enforcement forces, guarantors of the right to demonstrate, I express the support of the Nation," he noted.
(with inputs from AFP)