French Police Arrest 1,800 as Cost-of-Living Protests Turn Violent
French police arrested 1,800 people over the weekend as cost-of-living protests were marked by looting, fires and clashes. The Retail and Trade Federation said…
French police arrest 1,800 people over the weekend as cost-of-living protests turned violent, with looting and fires damaging businesses and public buildings across the country. The scale of the damage has put pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government as it faces a national address and investigations into the unrest.
The streets were left scarred. Paris officials said 557 people were in custody after what they described as a record number of arrests, while the Interior Ministry reported 550,000 participants in nationwide protests. The CGT union put attendance at 800,000.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said investigations were under way to identify those responsible. Macron was expected to address the nation on Sunday evening after meeting key ministers, his office said.
Businesses and public buildings hit
Hundreds of shops were looted in Paris and other cities, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Strasbourg. The Retail and Trade Federation said around 1,500 businesses were damaged, with losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of euros.
The damage reaches beyond shop owners. Businesses face losses and disruption, while residents and visitors have had to contend with burned debris, smashed storefronts and tear gas in streets where demonstrations and clashes unfolded. The available figures do not specify how the losses are distributed among cities or businesses.
In Paris, deputy mayor Lamia El Aaraje said the capital had experienced “a level of violence that we have never, I believe, seen before”. A resident, 78-year-old Mehmet Ozeden, described the scene amid burned barricades: “It's like we had a war.”
The city of Limoges lost its 19th-century town hall in a fire. Local prefect Maurice Barate told news channel LCI that the fire had been deliberately set and was brought under control early Sunday. In Lyon, a tourist office was set ablaze during clashes and looting.
One person died during the main march in Paris. Officials said the death was health-related and not connected to the protest violence. Around 500 police officers, firefighters and paramedics were hurt, Nunez said.
Investigations and political blame
The unrest followed weeks of student protests that had also turned violent at times. Government figures and far-right leader Marine Le Pen blamed ultra-left groups, while far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon accused authorities of inflaming tensions.
El Aaraje, a Socialist deputy mayor of Paris, accused Le Pen’s party of “acting like a pyromaniac firefighter” by using the protests to advance its presidential ambitions. The accusations came as investigators began work to identify people involved in the looting and damage.
Macron is in the final months of his presidency before elections to replace him in six months’ time, according to the report. His office said he would address the nation after meeting senior ministers.
The arrests were reported alongside widespread damage in multiple cities. In Paris, officials said 557 people were in custody.
Source: abc.net.au
