Over 1,200 arrested and 150 police injured as violent clashes erupt across France over cost of living

PARIS: At least 1,200 people were arrested across France following severe clashes, widespread looting, and buildings set ablaze during Saturday’s demonstrations against the cost of living and hardship in schools.

The French government described the unrest as an “escalation in violence,” with an estimated 550,000 protesters taking to the streets nationwide. While daytime marches in Paris were largely peaceful, disorder broke out into the evening as groups torched vehicles and set fires in iconic locations, including the Place de la République. Riot police deployed tear gas, water cannon, and batons to disperse crowds amid ransacked shops and street fighting.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported that 150 police officers sustained injuries in the unrest. Severe property destruction was reported across several cities, including in Limoges, where a massive fire at the historic town hall caused a partial collapse of the building’s roof. In Lyon, Mayor Grégory Doucet decried the burning of the city’s iconic tourist office as a “tragedy,” noting that hostile individuals obstructed firefighters from safely tackling the blaze.