Paris, Oct 19: French authorities have arrested about 2,400 people following violent protests across the country that involved clashes with police, arson and looting, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Sunday.
In a post on X, Nunez said investigations were underway to identify those responsible for the violence and bring them to justice.
The unrest erupted in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and other cities on Saturday, alongside mass demonstrations against rising inflation, which has been partly driven by the US-Iran war. Several public buildings were set on fire or vandalised, while shops were looted.
Nunez blamed what he described as several thousand far-left activists for the clashes and damage. He said the destruction had caused considerable losses, particularly for hundreds of shop owners.
Around 500 police officers, firefighters and paramedics were injured during the protests, according to the minister. He cautioned that the figure could change as authorities assess the scale of the violence.
France has faced weeks of mounting public discontent. The latest unrest followed four weeks of student protests over poor classroom conditions in high schools, some of which had also turned violent.
The demonstrations have added to pressure on the government as households struggle with rising living costs. The US-Iran war has contributed to inflationary pressures, particularly through its effects on energy prices and supply chains.
The violence has also raised concerns about public order and the authorities’ ability to contain unrest spreading across major cities.
Nunez vowed that the government would not back down in the face of violence, saying France would not yield to those seeking to impose disorder.
Investigations are continuing as authorities work to establish individual responsibility for the clashes, attacks on public buildings and looting.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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