France arrests 1,200 as cost-of-living protests turn violent in Paris, Lyon, Marseille

France is reeling after nationwide cost-of-living protests on Saturday turned violent, with around 1,200 arrests and 150 police officers and gendarmes injured, according to the French government. Between 550,000 and 800,000 people demonstrated mostly peacefully, but unrest erupted in major cities, including Limoges city hall burning, Lyon's tourist office set ablaze, and town halls ransacked in Marseille, Lille, and Angers. In Paris, clashes and looting devastated streets near the Champs-Élysées, with rioters using coordinated tactics to break into shops. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence, vowing prosecution for vandals, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed far-left instigators. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen accused the far left of hijacking legitimate demands, and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon distanced himself from the looting, urging his supporters to avoid destruction.