France rocked by major riots and protests

Paris – Clashes between police and demonstrators, arson, and widespread looting occurred on Saturday in many cities across France, as protests against the rising cost of living turned into violent riots.

These riots followed weeks of student protests and intensified the political uncertainty in the country, as France prepares for a presidential election scheduled to take place within six months, which will determine the successor to President Emmanuel Macron.

The mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, stated that many streets in the capital were damaged after groups of masked youths set fire to vehicles parked on the streets and looted many shops. French Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, who had previously condemned the violence, said on Saturday evening that 1,200 people were arrested, while 150 police officers were injured.

The French Ministry of the Interior reported that approximately 550,000 people participated in the protests in Paris and other cities. However, the labor union CGT, which was among the groups participating in the protests, claimed that the number of people who turned out reached 800,000.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the demonstrators, who were also throwing objects and other dangerous items. In the city of Saint-Etienne in the south of the country, a 17-year-old boy was injured in the right hand by a stun grenade used by the police to disperse the crowd.

During the protests and afterwards, groups of young people were roaming the streets of the cities, often clashing with the police. These groups also set fire to closed shops, broke windows, and then entered to take goods.

Various shops, including large markets, pharmacies, clothing stores, luxury shops, optical shops, beauty product stores, and electronic equipment stores, were looted in the cities of Paris, Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Limoges, Lille, Toulouse, and Strasbourg.

Reporters from the AFP news agency in Paris reported seeing organized groups of young people attacking shops. Some of these groups were wearing masks and gloves, and they first cut or disabled security cameras before breaking windows to enter.

The looting and destruction also reached municipal administrative centers. In the city of Limoges, a historic building that had been standing for over 140 years was largely destroyed by a fire set by masked protesters who forcefully entered the building, according to the top official in the region.

Two other buildings in the cities of Marseille and Lille were broken into, resulting in property damage. Additionally, a police station located in Bordeaux was destroyed, while in the city of Lyon, protesters set fire to an office intended for tourist services.

President Macron stated on platform X that individuals found to have destroyed property, attacked government offices or businesses, or participated in looting, including municipal administrative centers, will be brought to court and punished. Opposition politicians seeking to take over the presidency from Macron also spoke about the violence, reacting differently to the protests and the reasons behind them.

Marine Le Pen, a member of the far-right wing, condemned those she described as instigating the violence. She also accused the party led by far-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon of legitimizing the violence. Le Pen stated on platform X that if she were to take the presidency, she would protect the people of France from what she described as violence coming from the far-left.