Police and protesters clashed in Paris and other French cities on Saturday as around half a million people took to the streets to demonstrate against rising inflation. The unrest led to a serious incident where a protester had his hand blown off, alongside numerous fires and widespread looting of shops.
The violence marks a significant escalation following weeks of student protests and adds to political instability in France as the country prepares for elections in six months to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron condemned the violence on social media, stating: “No room for violence in our Republic. Those who have broken and attacked prefectures, businesses, and our town halls will be prosecuted and punished.” He also voiced support for law enforcement, describing them as protectors of the right to protest and pledging that the nation would stand against those seeking to undermine public order.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu denounced the “violence of extreme intensity,” asserting that while peaceful demonstrations are welcome, arson and looting are unacceptable. “Today, ultraleft groups have orchestrated violence in several French cities,” he noted.
According to the interior ministry, approximately 550,000 people participated in the protests, though the CGT union claimed the number was closer to 800,000. Police reported around 400 arrests.
Authorities deployed tear gas and water cannons against masked protesters who hurled projectiles and set fire to vehicles in Paris. Nearby in Saint-Etienne, a protester suffered severe injuries when a police grenade dismembered his hand, following a similar incident earlier this month in Lens where a 15-year-old lost his hand to a stun grenade.
In Lyon, demonstrators set fire to a tourist office, while in Marseille and Lille, protesters vandalised town halls and a police compound in Bordeaux. In Limoges, flames engulfed the town hall.
Numerous shops were looted across cities including Paris, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, and Lille, with an Apple store in Lille stripped bare.
As over 300 protesters attempted to advance down the Champs-Elysées, known for its luxury stores, they shouted “All cops are bastards” despite police attempts to disperse them with tear gas. Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire commented that “entire streets have been devastated” in the capital.
