Violent clashes broke out across France on Saturday as demonstrations against the rising cost of living and in support of striking high school students devolved into arson, looting and street battles with police in multiple major cities.
In Paris, police deployed tear gas and water cannons after masked protesters threw fireworks and other objects at officers in the Place de la République. A car and a newspaper kiosk were set on fire in the capital. Authorities closed numerous metro stations, including those near the Champs-Élysées, the presidential palace, parliament and government offices.
Not all demonstrators turned violent. A large contingent marched peacefully toward northwestern Paris, singing France’s national anthem and waving French flags while others played trumpets and violins.
The Interior Ministry, led by Laurent Nuñez, reported “a growing number of violent incidents” nationwide, including assaults on police officers, looting or attempted looting of shops, and damage to public buildings. At least 272 people were arrested across the country.
In Lyon, France’s third-largest city, roughly 20,000 people joined the march, and a fire broke out inside the city’s tourist office, sending smoke and flames rising from the building.
In Marseille, protesters briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall, and some shops and a municipal police station were damaged. Mayor Benoît Payan called the intrusion “unacceptable” but said the damage inside City Hall was “limited.” Photos showed an anarchist symbol spray-painted on a wall inside the building.
Authorities also reported violence involving masked groups in Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble.
A Revived Movement
The unrest follows online calls to revive the “yellow vest” movement, which first emerged in 2018 over social injustice and cost-of-living grievances. Demonstrators have voiced growing frustration with the government as gasoline, energy and food prices have climbed sharply in recent months.
High school students, who have been blockading schools since mid-September, called on supporters to join Saturday’s marches. The CGT, one of France’s largest labor unions, also backed the demonstrations, demanding “higher wages and pensions, lower prices and the protection of public services that meet people’s needs.”
The protests come after weeks of unrest that has seen thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries and schools set ablaze as the new academic year gave way to nationwide student demonstrations now shaping France’s presidential election campaign and drawing international scrutiny.
Some of the most disturbing injuries have struck teenage protesters, with gruesome wounds blamed on police riot-control weapons. Nuñez suspended the use of a type of police stun grenade against young demonstrators after a 15-year-old lost a hand.
On Tuesday, climate and social justice activist Greta Thunberg joined students at a high school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.
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