France protests leave town hall burning and 1,800 arrested
French authorities said 1,800 people were arrested during protests that erupted into violence and looting across several cities. Fires and damage were visible…
French authorities said France shock protests turn into riots across several cities, leaving damaged streets and buildings as residents surveyed the destruction on Sunday. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 1,800 people had been arrested during the protests, while 500 police officers and firefighters were injured nationwide, a preliminary figure.
The unrest brought fires and looting to city centres. Paris, Marseille and Lyon all showed signs of damage, and Limoges’ historic town hall was set alight. The arrests and injuries give a measure of the immediate toll as investigations begin.
Damage visible across several cities
In central Paris, streets were strewn with rubbish, overturned bicycles and goods taken from shops. Traces of fires set by rioters remained in several places, while city cleaners worked through the night to clear streets and squares.
Marseille and Lyon also showed similar damage. In Limoges, the scale of the fire damage to the historic town hall became clear after daylight. The building is a listed heritage site.
Emergency measures helped save the rear part of the building, Maurice Barate, prefect of the Haute-Vienne region, told BFMTV. He said wind had fanned the flames, which blazed high into the night sky. Firefighters brought the blaze under control in the morning.
The damage reaches beyond disrupted streets and looted shops: Limoges’ fire-hit town hall is a heritage building, while the reported injuries include both police officers and firefighters. The figures remain preliminary, Nuñez said, and authorities are investigating the violence, property damage and looting.
Officials condemn violence
Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan said the violence had shocked him. “I am lost for words to describe what I could never have imagined experiencing in this city,” he said. “This is more than just dismay.”
Payan said rioters and looters had attacked public property and undermined the demands of people who wanted to demonstrate lawfully. His comments reflected the distinction officials drew between peaceful protest and the violence that followed.
In Paris alone, police arrested 855 people, according to the police prefecture. The nationwide figure of 1,800 arrests came from Nuñez on Sunday. Authorities have not yet completed the investigations.
Nuñez said investigators were working to bring those responsible for violence, property damage and looting to court. The reported 500 injured police officers and firefighters is preliminary.
Source: yahoo.com
