Macron vows to detain vandals as France faces post-protest unrest

President Emmanuel Macron vowed to detain all those who incited disorder and hold them accountable for crimes committed, stating there is no place for violence in the Republic, following violent clashes between police and protesters across France on Saturday. Around 550,000 people demonstrated against rampant inflation, with nearly 400 arrests, as police used tear gas and water cannons against masked protesters in Paris and other cities. One protester lost a hand to a police grenade, while town halls, a tourism office, and a police complex were attacked, and dozens of shops were looted. The unrest follows weeks of student protests and deepens political uncertainty in France six months before elections to replace Macron. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the "extreme intensity" violence, attributing it to organized ultra-left groups, and stressed that scarce public funds cannot indefinitely finance the damage caused by vandals.