France protests: 1,800 arrested, 500 police hurt in riots

Nearly 1,800 people were arrested and about 500 police officers injured during violent demonstrations across France on Saturday, according to the interior ministry. The unrest included arson attacks on public buildings, with the clock tower of a 140-year-old town hall in Limoges collapsing after being set on fire. In Paris alone, 855 arrests were made, a record number, and one person died of cardiac arrest during the protests. The demonstrations, which began as school protests over poor conditions, escalated into riots with looting of 1,500 shops and vandalism of police stations and other town halls in Marseille and Lille. President Emmanuel Macron has announced he will address the nation, and the government has scheduled a crisis meeting for Monday morning. The violence involved a mix of protesters, anarchist black blocs, and looters, according to experts, with police using tear gas and water cannons. The unrest comes ahead of spring presidential elections, with opposition leader Marine Le Pen condemning the riots and blaming far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon for legitimizing violence.