VIOLENT PROTESTS ROCK FRANCE, LEAVE HISTORIC TOWN HALL IN RUINS

France was on Sunday assessing the widespread destruction caused by violent protests a day earlier, which resulted in about 1,800 arrests, the burning of a historic town hall and extensive looting across several cities.

The unrest, described by officials as exceptionally intense, has increased pressure on President Emmanuel Macron, who is in the final months of his tenure ahead of elections to choose his successor in six months. The violence followed weeks of student demonstrations that had occasionally turned confrontational.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced on Sunday via X that approximately 1,800 people had been arrested, adding that investigations were ongoing to identify those responsible and ensure they face justice.

In Paris, police reported a record 855 arrests, while streets were left strewn with the charred remains of barricades constructed from bicycles, rubbish bins and other materials. Several roads also had shattered shop windows and burnt-out vehicles.

Paris Deputy Mayor Lamia El Aaraje described the violence in the capital as unprecedented, saying the city had experienced a level of unrest she believed it had never witnessed before.

Other major cities, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Strasbourg, also recorded widespread looting, with masked youths ransacking shops during demonstrations against rising inflation and the high cost of living.

In Limoges, a fire destroyed the city’s 19th-century town hall. Local prefect Maurice Barate told LCI television that the blaze had been deliberately started by what he described as a “wild horde”. Firefighters only brought the situation under control early on Sunday.

The destruction sparked political accusations, with Macron’s centrist government and far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen both blaming far-left groups for the violence.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, a far-left presidential candidate who had openly supported the demonstrations, urged protesters late on Saturday to avoid looting, describing such acts as contrary to their methods.

El Aaraje, a Socialist deputy mayor of Paris, accused Le Pen’s party of aggravating tensions surrounding the protests to advance its ambitions of winning the presidency next year.

She accused the far-right National Rally party of “acting like a pyromaniac firefighter”.

US Vice President JD Vance also commented on the unrest, suggesting that immigration was a contributing factor. In a post on X, he criticised Western liberal governments for promoting diversity without adequately addressing questions of assimilation and cultural compatibility.

In Paris, where tourists were seen fleeing with their suitcases through streets filled with tear gas and protesters on Saturday, prosecutors said more than 500 people remained in custody.

Authorities said arrests continued throughout the night into early Sunday. Most detainees were suspected of offences including receiving stolen goods, conspiring to commit violence and vandalism.

Officials in Lyon reported that 160 people had been taken into custody.

Nunez said approximately 500 police officers, firefighters and paramedics had been injured during the protests, although he stressed that the figure was provisional.

The violence occurred alongside nationwide demonstrations over the rising cost of living. France’s Interior Ministry estimated that 550,000 people participated, while the CGT trade union put the turnout at 800,000.

Police deployed tear gas and water cannon against protesters who responded by throwing projectiles and setting off fireworks.

In the southern city of Saint-Etienne, a 17-year-old boy lost his right hand after a crowd-control grenade exploded.

Analyst Mujtaba Rahman of the Eurasia Group think tank described Saturday’s scenes as terrible, arguing that the violence did not represent genuine political protest. He said most demonstrations against high oil prices and failing schools had been peaceful.

Rahman attributed the violence to a fringe of the far left and described the looting as the work of opportunistic gangs from poorer suburbs, adding that the developments could benefit Le Pen politically.

During and after the demonstrations, groups of youths roamed city streets, clashed intermittently with police, set fires and broke into closed shops to steal goods.

France’s Yellow Vest movement, which staged street protests eight years ago against Macron’s proposed fuel tax increases, had called for Saturday’s demonstrations under the banner of “yellow and youth”.

The main grievance was the rising cost of living, which has been exacerbated partly by the war in the Middle East, contributing to soaring inflation across Europe and other parts of the world.