Protests in France

Macron: Feeling anger and shame – vandals must pay

French President Emmanuel Macron condemns the perpetrators of violence during Saturday’s protests, stating that those who engaged in vandalism will be made to pay for the destruction.

In a televised address to the nation, Macron noted that while many expressed "legitimate demands" over the weekend, others did nothing but destroy.

"Tonight, we all feel anger and shame."

Macron primarily blames the radical left and criminals. 

Shocked Parisians clean up: "Who is going to pay?"

Parisians have taken to the streets to clear away debris following the chaos of Saturday’s protests, reports *Le Figaro*. Residents in the vandalized areas reportedly did everything they could to stop the vandals who smashed up and looted shops.

Many are reacting with shock to the scene the following day. 76-year-old Suzie told the newspaper that she had never seen anything like it.

"Who is going to pay for all this?"

Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has praised the people who came out on Sunday to clear away broken glass.

"The 'Yellow Vests' look like choirboys by comparison"

Although calm has returned to the streets of Paris, the devastation left in the wake of the night’s violence is striking and immense, writes *Le Parisien*. On some streets, not a single shop was spared from the violence. Banks, clothing stores, beauty salons, and pharmacies have all been subjected to vandalism and looting. The newspaper’s reporter observes young people rummaging through the debris in search of valuable items.

“People sicken me—go to hell!” exclaims an individual who has just bought coffee for the sanitation workers on Boulevard Voltaire.

Paris Deputy Mayor Lamia El Aaraje states that many shop owners have seen their entire businesses—and thus their livelihoods—destroyed overnight. Many employers will be forced to implement a temporary suspension of operations starting Monday.

“The Yellow Vests look like absolute choirboys compared to this,” says a waiter working at a brasserie on Place de la République.