France counts the damage after protests turn to riots; 1,800 arrested
Some 550,000 people marched across France on Saturday over rising prices and failing public services. Violent groups then looted shops and set buildings on fire, leading to about 1,800 arrests and hundreds of injured officers.
Parisians woke up on Sunday to smashed shopfronts, burnt-out cars and pavements covered in glass after a day of nationwide demonstrations that ended in rioting in several cities. Around 550,000 people took part in Saturday's largely peaceful marches against fuel prices, the cost of living and the state of public services, with secondary-school students demanding more teachers and better classrooms.
As the day went on, masked groups clashed with riot police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. Shops were looted in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other cities. In Marseille, protesters forced their way into the city hall using a metal fence as a battering ram, while in Lille a fast-food restaurant was set on fire and an Apple store was ransacked. In central Paris, luxury boutiques had their windows broken and walls were sprayed with slogans such as "tax the rich".
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 1,800 people had been arrested and that more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters had been injured, warning that the toll was still provisional. He blamed thousands of far-left activists, later joined by looters, and said the Republic "will not yield" to those trying to impose disorder through violence. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had earlier put the number of injured police officers at 150.
Historic buildings were also hit. In Limoges, the 143-year-old town hall was largely destroyed by a fire that local officials said had been set deliberately; the blaze was contained on Sunday. In Lyon the city's tourist office burned, and in Saint-Étienne a young man lost a hand in a small explosion, the city's mayor said.
Anger over living costs also reached other European cities on Saturday. In Milan, a march against war and high prices turned violent, with police using water cannon and tear gas, while demonstrations in Portugal over housing and living costs remained peaceful.