Devastation in France the day after protests - Macron expected to speak

Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered to show their dissatisfaction with government power, high living costs and police authority in France.

Clashes with police and acts of violence broke out even before many of the protest marches departed on Saturday. A large part of the demonstrations could be carried out in orderly forms, but masked and violent groups took over in many places in what French media describe as "guerrilla-like" protests.

A total of 1,800 protesters were arrested, of which 855 were in the capital, Paris.

In a televised speech at 6 p.m., President Macron is expected to appear in connection with an extraordinary cabinet meeting.

On Saturday evening, it was established that 150 police officers had been injured. The number of injured protesters has not been made public, but protesters testify to "brutality" and police violence. Tear gas and so-called stun grenades were used by police to quell the riots.

A 17-year-old boy in Saint-Étienne lost his right hand after coming into contact with a grenade. A similar incident happened to a 15-year-old boy during protests in Lille the other week.

Shops have been looted in Paris, Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Limoges, Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg. Streets have been vandalized, police stations attacked and city halls stormed.

In Limoges in central France, the town hall, a 19th-century building, was set on fire by a group of protesters. Huge flames shot up from the building, the turreted roof collapsed and only on Sunday morning was the fire said to be under control.

- I never thought I would see anything like this. They have destroyed our heritage, says Limoges resident Jean-Pierre to Le Figaro.

French authorities state that 550,000 people participated in the demonstrations around the country. According to the CGT union, there were at least 800,000 people.

In recent weeks, society in France has been marked by a growing dissatisfaction with power, the political regime and President Emmanuel Macron personally.

The protest wave has sprung from a left-leaning student movement among high school students and university students. Several of the demonstrations have been followed by violence and clashes with the police. As the protests have grown, farmers, union members and supporters of the Yellow Vests protest movement have made common cause with the students.

The groups are united in their criticism, but far from unanimous on how the problems should be dealt with or what political direction the country should take.