Widespread Rioting and Looting Sweep French Cities Amid Fuel and Cost-of-Living Protests
Around 1,800 arrests were made as protests over fuel prices and living costs turned violent in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other cities, causing extensive property damage and injuries to police and firefighters.
Police in France arrested about 1,800 people on Saturday after demonstrations that drew an estimated 550,000 participants turned violent in several cities. Protesters were voicing concerns over rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services such as schools. While most demonstrations remained peaceful, groups of rioters in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other towns set fire to cars and buildings, looted shops and clashed with riot police who deployed tear-gas and water cannons.
In Paris, shattered shopfronts, burnt-out vehicles and piles of glass were reported across the city centre. Retailers, including luxury brands, began clearing debris on Sunday morning. The Retail and Trade Federation said roughly 1,500 shops suffered damage. Similar incidents were recorded in Marseille, where demonstrators forced entry into the city hall, and in Lille, where a fast-food outlet and an electronics store were set ablaze and looted.
More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, according to the interior ministry. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez acknowledged the right to demonstrate but condemned “outrages” carried out by “several thousand far-left individuals” and “delinquents” who targeted public buildings and businesses.
Local officials described the destruction of historic buildings, such as the tourist office in Lyon and the town hall in Limoges, as tragic. A resident of Paris described the scene as “like we had a war,” while another said it was “terrifying” to witness the unrest. The French president is scheduled to address the nation later on Sunday.