France: Serious riots during protests

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, 550,000 people took part in the protests and demonstrations against high living costs across the country, including 110,000 in Paris. There was looting, arson and massive damage to property in both the capital and many other large cities. Masked rioters, who according to the interior minister come from the left-wing extremist spectrum, attacked town halls, police stations and other state buildings. 400 people were arrested and 60 police officers were injured.

In Lyon, a tourist office went up in flames and, according to authorities, around 40 people tried to block traffic on a bridge. Near the university, police dispersed around 300 demonstrators with tear gas. In Saint-Étienne, a protester lost a hand to a police grenade. Last week, a 15-year-old lost his left hand when a stun grenade exploded in front of his school in Lens.

In Paris, people gathered at Republic Square in the afternoon for a large demonstration. Some set off fireworks. Many participants were dressed in black and masked. Police used tear gas and water cannons several times to disperse the crowd. Nevertheless, the protest march continued through the capital.

The government met for an emergency meeting in the evening. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu previously condemned the riots: "To those who obviously want to use these acts of violence as a 'warm-up round' before the presidential elections, I say very clearly: we will not be intimidated. Nobody will implement their political agenda with violence." The instructions are clear: "Prevent attacks, protect property and people, arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice."

The day of protest, which had been announced for some time, was joined by various groups, including schoolchildren and students who have been demonstrating for better learning conditions for weeks. The call for protest, which cannot be clearly assigned to any organization and was spread via social media, was also about high fuel prices, low wages, the large number of low-wage workers and problems in agriculture and the fire department.

»I'm young. I studied. I have no income. Our planet is burning. And we have a government that doesn't give a damn about us," AFP quoted a 24-year-old protester as saying. In their protests that have been going on since mid-September, students in France are demanding more teachers, smaller classes and better equipment. The protests come against the backdrop of the debate over an austerity budget that the government wants to get through parliament. This also provides for cuts in the education sector.

There was also a call on the Internet with an unclear originator for a new edition of the so-called yellow vest movement. The government's concern is that the demonstrations will actually become a spark for such broader protests. The yellow vest protest, so called because many of those involved wore yellow high-visibility vests, kept France in suspense for a long time in 2019.