More Than 1,800 Arrested Across France As Cost of Living Protests Turn Violent

Nationwide Arrests

More than 1,800 people were arrested across France during and after violent protests on Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Sunday. French police also detained a record 855 people in Paris alone. The unrest erupted during nationwide demonstrations against high inflation, rising fuel, energy and food prices, and the U.S.-Iran war, following four weeks of high school student protests over poor classroom conditions.

Clashes and Damage

Mr. Nunez blamed several thousand ultra-left individuals for clashes with police, arson, and looting in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, and other cities. Police used tear gas and water cannons in Paris as masked protesters threw fireworks and paving stones. Alexandre Bompard, the head of a French retail group, said about 1,500 shops and retailers were damaged, causing hundreds of millions of euros in damage. Around 500 police, firemen, and paramedics were injured.

Regional Impact

In Limoges, masked protesters broke into and set fire to a 143-year-old town hall, causing the roof and spire to collapse, according to regional official Maurice Barate. In Lyon, about 20,000 protesters joined a march where a fire broke out inside a tourist office. In Marseille, protesters damaged shops and a municipal police station, and briefly entered City Hall lobby, which Mayor Benoît Payan described as unacceptable damage. Protesters also responded to social media calls to revive the 2018 yellow vest movement.

Context

Mass protests in France frequently draw large crowds over economic grievances, occasionally seeing violent fringe groups clash with security forces. High inflation and spiking energy costs have put heavy financial pressure on households across Europe in recent months. Authorities routinely deploy heavy police forces, tear gas, and water cannons during major demonstrations in urban centers.