Protests against the cost of living in France have escalated into the most serious wave of rioting in years. On Sunday morning, streets in major French cities were still marked by burned-out cars, smashed storefronts and looted businesses after marches turned violent.
According to officials, the demonstrations began peacefully on Saturday against rising prices and a declining standard of living but quickly spun out of control. Masked groups of young people torched cars, ransacked shops and attacked public buildings in a number of cities, including Paris, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, Lille and Strasbourg.
Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said "entire streets have been devastated" as police had to use tear gas and water cannon against protesters throwing objects and setting off fireworks. Authorities reported about 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police officers. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu described it as "a miracle" that the casualty toll was not higher.
City halls in Limoges, Marseille and Lille were also targeted, while a police complex in Bordeaux and a tourism office in Lyon were vandalized. In Saint-Etienne, a 17-year-old youth lost his right hand after being hit by a crowd-control grenade.
The violence follows weeks of student protests demanding more investment in education, and comes just six months before the presidential election. Candidates from the far right and the left have blamed each other for the violence, while President Emmanuel Macron vowed that those responsible for looting and attacks on public buildings "will be prosecuted and punished."
