France Protests Escalate With 1,200 Arrests and Limoges Town Hall Fire

Protests and riots in France reached a new peak on Saturday, with around 1,200 people arrested nationwide and the historic town hall in Limoges burned down. The government described the violence as extreme. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu called it "violence of extreme intensity" after a crisis meeting, reporting at least 150 police officers injured. About 550,000 people participated in demonstrations against high living costs and education system failures, according to the government. The protests grew from student demonstrations in Paris suburbs last month, spreading to other European countries including Belgium, Italy, and Albania. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the riots and promised rigorous prosecution of those he called "chaos-makers."