1,200 people detained during protests in France — The Japan Times
Mass protests in France against the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services on Saturday were accompanied by riots in a number of cities. According to The Japan Times, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said that around 1,200 people had been detained.
Arson and clashes in cities
Hundreds of thousands of people took part in peaceful marches in dozens of cities, but separate groups attacked government buildings, police vehicles and law enforcement officers, as well as looted shops and supermarkets. In Limoges, the city hall building was set on fire. In Marseille, protesters dressed in black stormed the city hall and left anarchist graffiti on the building. In Lyon, a tourist office was set on fire.
Police used tear gas in some areas of Paris. Rioters attempted to enter the Galeries Lafayette department store, damaged banks, looted a Lacoste store and an SFR mobile operator shop. Throughout the day, they also set objects in the streets on fire, including cars.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that around 550,000 people took part in the actions across the country. The CGT trade union put the number of participants at 800,000. Lecornu blamed the violence on the far left and criminals and said that the government would not allow a political agenda to be imposed through violence. President Emmanuel Macron promised to hold those involved in the attacks accountable.
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Reasons for the protests and casualties
According to participants, most demonstrators protested peacefully, while violence was committed by people seeking to cause damage and clash with police. The protests began last month in schools in the working-class northern suburbs of Paris over a shortage of teachers and the poor condition of educational institutions. The movement later expanded to include inequality, public spending and living standards.
Lecornu said that more than 150 police officers were injured during Saturday's protests. Nuñez confirmed reports of a person who lost a hand during clashes with police; French media wrote that the person had tried to pick up a stun grenade. Police tactics have already drawn criticism after demonstrators were injured, and the police oversight body is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence.
Smaller protests over the rising cost of living also took place that day in Belgium, Portugal and Italy. In Albania, students for the fifth consecutive day demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, citing corruption, a lack of jobs and problems in education.
