Violent clashes broke out between police and protesters in Paris and other French cities on Saturday, as huge crowds marched against rising living costs.
As per the report, some protesters threw objects and aimed fireworks at police. Several parked cars were burned in the capital, and smoke could be seen over the center. Protesters set a tourist office on fire in the center of Lyon. They also broke into town halls in Marseille and Lille, and into a police compound in Bordeaux, and damaged the buildings before leaving. In Limoges, flames reached the roof of the town hall after a group attacked it following protests. Police fired tear gas to block them. As per the ministry, these groups set fire to street furniture, damaged public buildings and looted shops in places including Lyon, Montpellier and Valence. Some unions, including the CGT, also planned to join, focusing on public spending and the cost of living.
As per AFP, more than 300 protesters tried to walk up the Champs-Elysees, which is home to flagship luxury stores. This follows another case on October 5, when a 15-year-old lost his hand to a police stun grenade during a protest in the city of Lens. Bloomberg reported that the ministry said 272 people had been arrested across the country as of 3pm.
Police used tear gas and water cannon against masked protesters in Paris and other cities, according to AFP. A male protester in the southern city of Saint-Etienne had his hand blown off by a police crowd-control grenade, according to a police source who spoke to AFP. The Interior Ministry said hooded, ultra-left-wing agitators gathered in Paris and in cities such as Rennes, Toulouse and Angers, according to Bloomberg. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France 2 TV on Friday: “We’re expecting a pretty big mobilization”. He said police were getting ready for possible violence by extreme elements in bigger cities.
