France counts 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police after riots over living costs

France is assessing widespread damage Sunday after protests against the high cost of living descended into riots, with 1,200 arrests and 150 police officers injured, according to the government. The unrest, which included chants of "Revolution," was more intense than the 2023 riots or the 2018-2019 yellow vest protests. Hundreds of institutions and shops were targeted across Paris and major cities, with town halls vandalized in Marseille, Lille, Angers, and Bordeaux, and the 19th-century Limoges city hall largely destroyed by fire. President Emmanuel Macron vowed that those who attacked institutions would be "prosecuted and punished," while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called the relatively low casualty count a "miracle." The violence occurred six months before the presidential election, with political leaders trading blame. Jean-Luc Mélenchon condemned the looting but accused the government of mishandling the situation, while Marine Le Pen criticized his rhetoric for legitimizing violence. US Vice President JD Vance attributed the riots to immigration and assimilation issues.