France counts cost of violent protests against high living costs

France is assessing the damage Sunday morning after violence, looting, and chaos overshadowed a protest against the high cost of living, six months before the presidential election. In Paris alone, 855 people were arrested, a record number. Insurrection-like scenes, sometimes with cries of "Revolution," appeared more intense than the 2023 riots or the 2018-2019 yellow vest actions, according to AFP reporters. Hundreds of institutions and shops were targeted across major cities, leaving streets littered with debris and burned scooters. Mayors of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille requested a meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who called on Jean-Luc Mélenchon's party to choose between the Republic and the rioters. President Emmanuel Macron vowed to punish those who attacked institutions, while Mélenchon denied supporting the violence.