France protests leave Paris streets buried in garbage amidst violence, looting

Visuals from Châtelet in Paris showed streets littered with rubbish in the aftermath of violent protests across France on Saturday against deteriorating school conditions and the rising cost of living.

At least 1,200 people were arrested and 150 police officers injured as an estimated 550,000 people took to the streets, with clashes, fires and looting reported in several cities.

In Paris, clashes between protesters and riot police continued into the evening, with officers using tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds.

Buildings were set on fire in the capital and other parts of the country, while businesses were looted and public property vandalised.

In Limoges, a large fire at the town hall caused part of its roof to collapse.

Damage to buildings was also reported in Grenoble, Avignon, Pau, Montpellier and Valence.

Clothes and food shops were raided in Paris, while an Apple store in Lille was broken into and emptied.

France's Interior Ministry said "targeted acts of violence" had been carried out by "hooded individuals" in parts of Paris and other cities, including Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 150 police officers were injured during the unrest.

The French government described the violence as an "escalation in violence".

However, the main march in Paris appeared largely peaceful during the afternoon.

A group of young demonstrators told the BBC that they were "pacifists" who were "just trying to make things change, but nothing is moving".

The protests began with students raising concerns over staff shortages and dilapidated facilities in the country's lycées, secondary schools attended by students aged 15 to 18.

Their numbers have grown in recent weeks, with trade union members and other protest groups joining the demonstrations.

Among them are members of the gilets jaunes, or "yellow vest", movement, which demonstrated against rising living costs for more than a year from 2018, becoming one of the longest-running protest movements in French history.