French protests over living costs turn violent in Marseille, Paris, and Lille

Looters ransacked luxury boutiques, electronics outlets, supermarkets and other businesses across several French cities on Saturday as protests against the rising cost of living descended into widespread violence, with authorities reporting mass arrests, injured police officers and fires. In Marseille, protesters vandalised dozens of shops, including luxury brand Hermès, while in Paris, looters smashed a skincare store window and raided a supermarket. An Apple Store was broken into in Lille, and businesses were targeted in Nice. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers injured. The protests drew an estimated 550,000 participants nationwide, according to the interior ministry, with police using tear gas and water cannons. A 17-year-old boy lost his right hand after being struck by a crowd-control grenade in Saint-Etienne. Public buildings were also attacked, including a fire that largely destroyed Limoges' town hall. President Emmanuel Macron vowed that those responsible "will be prosecuted and punished."