France has begun assessing the damage after one of the most violent days of unrest in recent years. Demonstrations against the rising cost of living and problems with public services have escalated into violence, killing one protester, injuring hundreds of police officers and detaining nearly 1,800 people, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
In various parts of the country, protesters set fire to a city hall, looted shops and defaced public buildings with graffiti. Groups of demonstrators clashed with police, while other participants joined the marches peacefully. More than half a million people took to the streets in dozens of cities.
One protester died after suffering a cardiac arrest during the protests in Paris, where police made a record 855 arrests. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said about 1,800 people had been detained nationwide and more than 500 police officers had been injured.
While most of the demonstrations were peaceful, groups inciting riots attacked public buildings, looted luxury boutiques and supermarkets and attacked police cars and officers. In Paris, smashed shop windows, burned bicycles and spray-painted slogans were left after the protests, which began mostly peacefully but turned violent.
In Limoges, workers began assessing the damage to the 143-year-old town hall, which was partially destroyed in an arson attack. Large-scale clean-up operations have also begun in Lille, Marseille, Strasbourg and Bordeaux. In the latter city, a group of masked protesters stormed the residence of the local prefect.
“There is no place for violence in our republic“, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on the Aix social network during the escalation. He warned that those involved in looting and attacks on prefectures, shops and town halls would be prosecuted and punished.
The unrest has increased pressure on Macron and his government. Prime Minister Sébastien Le Corneille said the authorities would not allow themselves to be “intimidated“ by violence, and blamed the incident on representatives of the “ultra-left“ and criminal groups. The situation comes as presidential elections are due next year.
Economy Minister Roland Lescure has pledged support for the owners of the affected businesses. He said those responsible for the damage will have to pay for the repairs and be held accountable for their actions.
Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazeneuve said up to 100 stores in the city had been looted. In Marseille, Mayor Benoit Payan announced emergency financial aid for businesses hit by the violence.
The protests began last month over school conditions and a shortage of teachers in working-class suburbs. Gradually, the movement grew to encompass broader public discontent against inequality, public spending cuts and the rising cost of living.
This is the moment a town hall collapsed as protests sweep across France. The 140-year-old town hall in the French city of Limoges caught fire during protests in the city Read the latest on the Sky News website and app: https://t.co/oaLTf7aDbP https://t.co/3OC3eU3Hf7
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