France rocked by nationwide clashes, looting and fires

France was left reeling after Saturday’s demonstrations over the rising cost of living erupted into widespread violence, with clashes between police and protesters, looting and fires reported across the country.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers injured in what he described as violence of “extreme intensity”.

“It’s a miracle the toll isn’t higher,” Lecornu said.

Authorities estimated that 550,000 people joined the nationwide demonstrations, while the CGT trade union put the figure at 800,000.

The unrest follows weeks of student protests and comes ahead of presidential elections scheduled for April and May.

Police deployed tear gas and water cannons as some demonstrators threw projectiles and fireworks. In the southern city of Saint-Étienne, a 17-year-old boy lost his right hand when a crowd-control grenade exploded.

Widespread looting and destruction

Masked youths targeted businesses in Paris, Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Limoges, Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg, looting supermarkets, pharmacies, luxury boutiques and electronics stores.

AFP reporters in Paris witnessed groups disabling security cameras before smashing shop windows and stealing goods.

Public buildings were also attacked. The historic town hall in Limoges, more than 140 years old, was largely destroyed by fire after masked protesters broke in. Town halls in Marseille and Lille were vandalised, while a police compound in Bordeaux was damaged and a tourist office in Lyon set alight.

President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence, saying those responsible for vandalism, attacks on public buildings and looting would be prosecuted.

US Vice President JD Vance blamed immigration for the unrest, claiming on X that Western countries had neglected questions of integration in the name of diversity and compassion.

Cost of living fuels anger

The demonstrations were called by France’s Yellow Vest movement, which staged major protests eight years ago over planned fuel tax increases.

Rising living costs, exacerbated by inflation linked partly to the war in the Middle East, were a central grievance. Protesters also expressed anger over political leadership and wealth inequality.

“We’re sick of slaving away for poverty wages while our rents keep going up,” teacher Regine Monfroid told AFP in Strasbourg.

In Paris, demonstrators called for Macron to resign, while some invoked the French Revolution of 1789. In Marseille, protesters shouted that they were “taking the Bastille” as they forced their way into the mayor’s offices.

Political tensions intensify

The unrest has heightened political tensions ahead of the presidential election, with opposition figures seeking to capitalise on public frustration.

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen condemned the rioters and accused the party of left-wing rival Jean-Luc Mélenchon of legitimising violence. She vowed to protect the public from what she described as violence from the extreme left.

Mélenchon, who had supported the demonstrations and earlier student protests, urged participants to avoid looting, describing it as contrary to the movement’s methods.

The scale of the destruction and arrests has raised fresh questions about public order as France approaches a pivotal electoral period.