Over 2,000 arrested as violent protests sweep France

More than 2,000 people were arrested during violent nationwide protests in France against rising inflation. The unrest left over 600 security personnel and firefighters injured, caused widespread property damage, and saw attacks on public buildings, businesses, and police facilities.

Paris: More than 2,000 people have been arrested during violent protests across France on Saturday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Sunday.

In a post on social media platform X, Nunez said that protests in some cities continued late into Saturday night, adding that investigations were underway to identify the perpetrators of the violent acts and bring them to justice.

---

More than 600 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters have been injured in the violence so far, he said, citing provisional figures, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Material damage was considerable, affecting several hundred businesses, he said.

“Demonstrating is a fundamental right. Causing disorder through coordinated violence is not,” Nunez said.

Around 550,000 people took part in protests across France on Saturday. Numerous attacks on public buildings, police stations and businesses were reported during the demonstrations.

Violent clashes erupted between police and protesters in Paris and other parts of France on Saturday on the sidelines of the nationwide marches against rising inflation, with protesters setting fire to many places and looters breaking into dozens of shops to strip them bare. The unrest comes after weeks of student protests. Tens of thousands marched across the east and north of Paris in one major march on Saturday. Protesters shouted slogans like “Everyone hates the police” and “Macron, resign.”

Protesters set fire to a tourist office in the city centre in Lyon and broke into town halls in the cities of Marseille and Lille, where they vandalised the premises before leaving, France 24 reported. Dozens of shops were looted, including many in Marseille. Over 300 protesters tried to move up towards Paris’s Champs-Elysees, which has several flagship luxury stores. Protesters shouted “all cops are bastards” as police fired tear gas, blocking the way of protesters.