PARIS (MNN); Nationwide demonstrations against the rising cost of living turned violent in Paris and several other French cities on Saturday, leaving one protester with a severed hand, dozens of shops looted and multiple fires reported. Police made more than 130 arrests as clashes erupted on the sidelines of largely peaceful marches.
The CGT trade union estimated that around 500,000 people participated in demonstrations across France, although authorities had not immediately released their own figures.
Police deployed tear gas and water cannon against masked demonstrators who threw projectiles and set off fireworks. Several parked vehicles were set ablaze in Paris, while protesters clashed with law enforcement in several urban centres.
A police source told AFP that a male demonstrator lost his hand after a crowd-control grenade exploded in the southern city of Saint-Etienne. The incident followed a similar case on October 5, when a 15-year-old boy lost his hand after being struck by a police stun grenade during a protest in Lens.
Violence and vandalism were also reported elsewhere. Protesters set fire to a tourist office in central Lyon and broke into municipal buildings in Marseille and Lille, damaging their interiors.
Dozens of businesses were looted, including a Hermès boutique in Marseille, an Apple store in Lille, several shops in Nice and at least one mobile phone outlet in Paris, according to AFP journalists.
In Paris, more than 300 demonstrators attempted to march along the Champs-Elysees, a prominent shopping avenue lined with luxury brands. Police used tear gas to prevent them from advancing, prompting some protesters to chant anti-police slogans.
In Rennes, western France, around 20 people erected a barricade using rubbish bins and large wooden pallets near a shopping centre.
Christophe, a 47-year-old carpenter and former Yellow Vest protester, told AFP that he was outraged by what he considered police brutality against teenagers in recent weeks.
“We’ve reached the point where the repression is targeting our own children,” he said.
‘Macron, Resign’
Although most marches remained peaceful and attracted people of different ages, including families with children, masked youths were involved in looting and confrontations with police.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said the overwhelming majority of demonstrators wanted to march peacefully, adding that acts of vandalism were damaging the credibility of their protest.
Tens of thousands of people marched through eastern and northern Paris, with some chanting slogans such as “Everyone hates the police” and “Macron, resign”.
Jules Petrichor, a 47-year-old demonstrator who attended with his son, said the atmosphere had initially been positive before police began using tear gas. He argued that the police response had escalated tensions.
Another protester, 19-year-old Louis, said police appeared too quick to use force during demonstrations, adding that protesting had become frightening.
The Yellow Vest movement, which staged major demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron’s planned fuel tax increases eight years ago, called Saturday’s rallies the “yellow and youth” demonstrations. It urged teachers, students, workers, pensioners and farmers to participate.
The cost of living was the main grievance, with the war in the Middle East contributing to inflationary pressures across Europe and other regions. Demonstrators also raised concerns about political accountability, economic inequality, climate change and the future of young people.
Eighteen-year-old high school student Kamil Alahyan said he was protesting against what he described as dishonest politicians, growing wealth concentration among the ultra-rich and the political issues surrounding the 2027 elections.
Agnes, a 50-year-old actor, said the government had failed to adequately address climate, economic and equality challenges. Anae, a 24-year-old student, said she feared she had no sustainable future amid environmental concerns.
Le Pen Blames ‘Rioters’
Political rivals seeking to succeed Macron have also weighed in on the demonstrations.
Far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen, who expressed support for the police, condemned the looting and attacks on law enforcement in a post on X. She argued that far-left groups had hijacked the protesters’ demands over the cost of living.
Meanwhile, far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said early Saturday that the demonstrations were proceeding peacefully, accusing television news outlets of focusing excessively on images of violence from cities across the country.
Some demonstrators invoked the French Revolution of 1789. In Marseille, protesters shouted slogans about taking the Bastille while forcing their way into the mayor’s offices. In La Rochelle, marchers carried a placard reading “Revolution or death”, while a large banner bearing the words “The people will win” was displayed in Montpellier.
Ryad Rani, head of the LSU high school student representative body, told journalists in Paris that the government had reason to be concerned, arguing that public anger in France would not easily subside.
