France Protests Turn Violent As 1,200 Arrested, 150 Police Personnel Injured; Macron Vows Action Against Vandals
· Free Press Journal
Paris [France], October 18: French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said police arrested 1,200 protesters on Saturday, and 150 personnel were injured as demonstrations across the country over the rising cost of living turned violent, France24 reported.
The student-led protest, which began with demonstrations against budget cuts in education and “deplorable” school conditions, turned violent as parts of Europe were rattled with protests against rising inflation.
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According to France24, police in Paris said 855 people were detained during the demonstrations, which they stated was a "record figure".
France’s students demanded teachers, safer classrooms and functioning public services. Yesterday, looters contributed their own economic programme: empty the shops and leave the repair bill.Authorities counted 550,000 demonstrators nationwide; unions estimated 800,000. Officials reported around 1,200 arrests and 150 police injuries, with Paris police announcing a record 855 arrests.Most marched peacefully. Violent groups burned Limoges’ historic town hall and Lyon’s tourist office, while businesses were ransacked. Destroying public assets and local livelihoods is a remarkably expensive way to protest the cost of living.
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Deputy Mayor of Paris Lamia El Aaraje said that the capital was hit by "a level of violence that I believe we had never seen before".
Citing a local media channel, France24 reported the massive fire at the 143-year-old Limoges town hall was contained.
Interior minister details protest figures
Earlier, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France24 that 5,50,000 people took part in the protests against dwindling purchasing power, with 1,10,000 demonstrators in the capital. Police have arrested 400 protesters over vandalism charges, he said.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed a firm response to violence amid the ongoing protests, driven primarily by students who, over the past few weeks, have engaged in violent demonstrations to denounce what they call “deplorable” school conditions and excessive police force.
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In a post on X, Macron vowed strict action against the protesters who were involved in vandalism and looting, expressing solidarity against "sowers of chaos."
"No room for violence in our Republic. Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished. To the law enforcement forces, guarantors of the right to demonstrate, I express the support of the Nation. We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who seek only to bring down our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so," he wrote.
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Yellow Vest figures may join protests
French media also reported that former 'Yellow Vest' figures are set to join the protests in support of high-school students. The 'Yellow Vest' movement began in 2018 in France, bringing thousands of people to the streets against rising fuel prices and economic inequality. The protests were met with rubber bullets fired by the police, injuring more than 2,500 protesters and 1,800 police personnel in the clashes.
Even Belgium and Italy witnessed clashes between police and protesters.\
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)