French protests over cost of living turn violent

Hundreds of thousands protested across France on Saturday against the rising cost of living, with the demonstrations ending in riots and looting just six months before the presidential election. The government reported 1,200 arrests and 150 police and gendarmes injured nationwide. President Emmanuel Macron vowed that those who destroyed property and looted shops would be prosecuted, while Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin called for preventive detention for the perpetrators. The protests, organized under the banner "Amarillos y Jóvenes," united the "yellow vests" movement with students, farmers, teachers, and climate activists, drawing between 550,000 and 800,000 people according to authorities and organizers. The unrest evoked memories of the 2018-2019 yellow vest protests, with a protester losing a hand to a grenade in Saint-Étienne. The mobilization occurs amid a government plan for a €54 billion fiscal adjustment in the 2027 budget, with two-thirds of French people supporting the return of the yellow vests according to a September poll.