Paris, Oct 18: Violence erupted across France on Saturday as demonstrations over deteriorating school conditions and the rising cost of living drew an estimated 550,000 people onto the streets. At least 1,200 people were arrested, while 150 police officers were injured, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said.
Clashes continued into the evening in Paris, where riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds. Buildings were set on fire, shops were looted and businesses vandalised in several cities.
In Limoges, a large fire at the town hall caused part of the roof to collapse. In Lyon, the city’s tourist office was set ablaze, prompting Mayor Grégory Doucet to describe the incident as a tragedy for the city.
The main march in Paris appeared largely peaceful during the afternoon. Some young demonstrators told the BBC they were pacifists seeking change but felt that nothing was moving forward.
Tensions rose as the day progressed, with groups setting fires in streets and torching vehicles, including near the Place de la République in central Paris. Shops were ransacked, a restaurant was gutted by fire and clashes broke out among demonstrators. Riot police charged at crowds and struck several people with batons.
In Lyon, Doucet said the burning of the tourist office had damaged an iconic historic building. Local police said hostile individuals prevented firefighters from safely tackling the blaze.
Firefighters also battled the fire at Limoges town hall. In Saint-Étienne, Mayor Régis Juanico said on social media that a young man had lost his hand after a grenade exploded.
The Interior Ministry reported targeted acts of violence by masked individuals in parts of Paris and in Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers. Damage to buildings was also reported in Grenoble, Avignon, Pau, Montpellier and Valence.
Clothing and food shops were looted in Paris, while an Apple store in Lille was broken into and emptied. Footage verified by BBC Verify showed masked men driving a tourist train along a narrow street in central Grenoble towards at least three riot police officers.
The demonstrations began amid growing anger over staff shortages and deteriorating facilities in France’s lycées, secondary schools attended by students aged 15 to 18. Hundreds of thousands of students have taken part in protests in recent weeks.
On Saturday, trade union members and other protest groups joined the demonstrations, including the gilets jaunes, or yellow vest movement. The movement began in 2018 in opposition to rising living costs and continued protests for more than a year, becoming one of the longest running protest movements in French history. (Source: BBC)
People’s News Monitoring Service
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