PARIS, France – France awoke to scenes of widespread destruction on Sunday after demonstrations over rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services were accompanied by riots and looting across several cities.
Burnt-out cars, charred bicycles, smashed shopfronts and piles of glass and debris littered streets in Paris, where shopkeepers began cleaning up damage following Saturday’s unrest.
Police arrested about 1,800 people as an estimated 550,000 demonstrators took to the streets nationwide. While many of the protests remained peaceful, groups of rioters set fire to vehicles and buildings, clashed with police and looted businesses in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other locations.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 150 police officers were injured during the unrest.
Paris Shopkeepers Count The Cost Of Looting
In central Paris, residents and business owners surveyed the damage early Sunday, including smashed glass frontages at luxury stores such as Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Versace.
Shopkeepers swept up large shards of glass while rubbish trucks cleared debris from major streets. Graffiti bearing messages such as “tax the rich” and “eat the rich” was visible on several buildings.
A clothes shop near Place de la République was ransacked, with clothes and furniture scattered across the floor, according to the BBC.
The shop’s owner, who requested anonymity, told the broadcaster that CCTV footage showed looters inside the premises for more than an hour and a half. He said he had not seen police during the incident.
The owner also questioned whether those who ransacked his business were genuinely motivated by concerns over school conditions or the cost of living, arguing that some people had exploited the demonstrations to loot.
Footage shown by France’s Channel 2 also showed groups of teenagers, most wearing masks, taking items from shelves in a mobile phone shop.
Riot Police Clash With Protesters
In Paris, groups of protesters clashed with riot police, who used tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds.
Some individuals set fires in the streets and torched vehicles, while at least one restaurant was gutted by fire. The BBC also reported witnessing fighting among some groups.
Riot police were seen charging at a crowd in central Paris and striking several people with batons.
Further south, in Marseille, protesters broke into the city hall using a metal fence as a battering ram.
In Lille, police said a McDonald’s restaurant was set on fire, while an Apple store was broken into and looted.
France’s Interior Ministry said Saturday’s demonstrations included targeted acts of violence by hooded individuals in parts of Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers.
Damage to buildings was also reported in Grenoble, Avignon, Pau, Montpellier and Valence.
Historic Buildings Damaged By Fires
The unrest extended beyond commercial premises, with fires damaging public buildings in several French cities.
In Lyon, Mayor Grégory Doucet described the burning of the city’s tourist office as a tragedy, saying the incident had affected an iconic and historic building.
Local police said hostile individuals had prevented firefighters from safely tackling the blaze.
In Limoges, fire crews battled a blaze at the town hall that caused part of the building to collapse. Local officials said the building was largely lost.
Maurice Barate, prefect of the Haute-Vienne department, accused those responsible of deliberately setting fire to the 143-year-old building.
In Saint-Étienne, a young man suffered a severe hand injury after a small explosive device detonated, according to Mayor Régis Juanico, who described the incident as a tragedy.
School Funding And Cost Of Living Fuel Demonstrations
The demonstrations were driven by anger over rising fuel prices, living costs and concerns about declining public services, particularly education.
Student protests in France had drawn hundreds of thousands of people into the streets since beginning late the previous month.
Demonstrators have demanded additional investment in schools, citing teacher and staff shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating buildings.
Although many participants joined the protests to call for improved public services and relief from rising costs, the violence and looting prompted concerns about the damage inflicted on businesses, public infrastructure and historic sites.
The scale of Saturday’s unrest left authorities facing the task of restoring order and assessing damage across the country, while residents and business owners began clearing the debris left behind.
