Chaos in France – 1,800 arrested following the violence

 

Minna Haqanyar

Published 13:31 | Updated 14:19

City halls in flames, shattered storefront windows, and looted shops.

Saturday’s mass protests in France descended into violent chaos.

More than 1,800 people have been arrested following the unrest.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France to protest against shortcomings in the school system, rising living costs, and public sector cuts.

However, in several cities, the protests turned into violence and destruction.

In Paris, cars were set on fire, and entire shopping streets were vandalized. Both grocery stores and high-end luxury boutiques—such as Louis Vuitton—were looted.

In Limoges, the city hall was set on fire. The roof collapsed onto the lower floors, and large parts of the historic building were destroyed. In Marseille, the city hall was stormed, and in Lyon, the city’s tourist office was set ablaze.

“Entire streets have been devastated,” stated Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, according to AFP.

Started with school protests

The wave of protests began back in September, when high school students in the Paris suburbs started demonstrating against teacher shortages and poor school facilities.

Since then, the discontent has grown into a broader movement against high prices, social inequality, and public spending cuts.

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, approximately 550,000 people participated in Saturday’s demonstrations. Organizers estimate the number at 800,000.

Address to the nation and emergency meeting

The vast majority demonstrated peacefully, according to Reuters. However, groups of masked individuals attacked the police, looted shops, and vandalized public buildings.

More than 1,800 people have been arrested, and over 500 police officers and firefighters have been injured, according to Nunez.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has also called an emergency meeting with representatives from several ministries for 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The meeting will be led by President Emmanuel Macron, who is subsequently expected to deliver a televised address to the nation at 8:00 p.m., according to The Guardian.