Violent clashes erupt in French cities during nationwide cost-of-living protests
Around 410,000 people demonstrated across France over rising living costs, with police confronting protesters in several cities as some incidents turned violent.
France saw large-scale demonstrations against a worsening cost-of-living crisis and growing inequality, with the Interior Ministry reporting participation by an estimated 410,000 people in major cities. While many protests remained peaceful, authorities faced violent confrontations in several locations over the weekend.
In Paris, riot police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse a group of roughly 500 youths who threw stones at officers. Similar disturbances occurred in Marseille, where demonstrators blocked streets with metal sheets, set rubbish bins ablaze and hurled rocks and bottles at police, and looted two jewelry shops. Police also reported clashes in Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Nantes and Nice, using tear gas to control crowds.
The unrest follows demonstrations that began last month after high-school students in the Paris suburbs protested poor school conditions. The protests have since expanded nationwide, reflecting broader economic and political concerns. France's 10-year government bond yield rose above 5% for the first time since 2002, prompting worries among investors about the potential spread of debt issues across the euro zone.