French Protests Turn Violent: 1,200 Arrested as Riots Spread Across Cities

tagesschau.de (German) —

France experienced unprecedented protest violence on Saturday, with riots, looting, and arson across multiple cities, leading to 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police officers. The historic town hall in Limoges was set ablaze, and President Emmanuel Macron vowed rigorous prosecution of the perpetrators. Around 550,000 people demonstrated nationwide against rising living costs, with Paris, Lyon, and Marseille seeing chaos. Masked individuals looted shops and burned cars, while police deployed tear gas and water cannons. A 17-year-old lost his hand to a police grenade in Saint-Etienne, and a tourism office burned in Lyon. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed a "violent far-left" for the unrest, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez promised further arrests. Protests also involved students demanding better education conditions, amid concerns the unrest could reignite the Yellow Vest movement from 2019.


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