Europeupdated 1h ago2 min read
France Protests Turn Violent as Police Fire Tear Gas and Water Cannons
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Hundreds of thousands protested nationwide against rising living costs and poor school conditions. Police used tear gas in several cities as clashes and property damage occurred.
14 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Laurent Nunez Says More Than 2,000 Arrested as Riots and Looting Spread Across France →
France protests turn violent
Violent clashes, fires, and looting marred demonstrations across France on Saturday as hundreds of thousands protested rising living costs and poor school conditions. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 110 marches drew about 550,000 people across the country, while organizers including the CGT and students' organizations said about 800,000 demonstrators took to the streets. French President Emmanuel Macron said, “There is no place for violence in our Republic,” and he added that those who vandalized property and looted town halls “will be prosecuted and punished.”
Police fired tear gas and water cannons to push back people wearing hoods and masks and throwing fireworks, paving stones and other objects at officers in the Place de la République. In Lyon, about 20,000 protesters joined the march and a fire broke out inside a tourist office, while in Marseille protesters damaged a municipal police station and briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall.
Arrests, injuries, and looting
Police arrested about 1,800 people on Saturday as some 550,000 demonstrators took to the streets for protests that were largely peaceful. France's interior ministry said more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured in the unrest on Saturday, and the Retail and Trade Federation said about 1,500 shops and retailers were also damaged. In Paris, protesters clashed with riot police, who turned tear gas and water cannon on the crowds, and a Paris resident, Mehmet Ozeden, told AFP, “It's like we had a war.”
A shop owner told the BBC he saw looters on CCTV who were in the shop for just over an hour and a half, and he said, “during that time he saw no police in the process.” In Marseille, protesters broke into the city hall by using a metal fence as a battering ram, and in Lille a McDonalds was set on fire while an Apple store was broken into and looted.
Macron, Lecornu, and the next day
French President Emmanuel Macron said in an address to the nation that “nothing justifies” the “unbridled” violence seen in nationwide cost of living protests this weekend. Macron also said, “Those who have destroyed must pay,” and he vowed the government would be “uncompromising” towards those who had rioted. France's government said around 1,200 arrests were made across France and that 150 police officers and gendarmes were injured over the course of the day.
In Paris, Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said “entire streets” had been “systematically devastated,” and he said the police were “completely overwhelmed” and could not fulfill their duty to protect citizens amid the chaos. On Sunday, Paris police clashed with demonstrators and looters as the country reeled from Saturday's unrest, and AFP journalists said police fired tear gas and stun grenades at hundreds of people gathered in the Republique square.