Following mass protests held on Saturday, October 17, against rising living costs and economic conditions in France, violent incidents broke out in numerous cities.
In the capital Paris, as well as in Bordeaux, Marseille, Lille, and Lyon, groups of people smashed store windows, looted businesses, set vehicles on fire, and damaged public buildings.
According to the French news agency AFP, clashes erupted between police and certain groups during the demonstrations, while security forces intervened with tear gas and water cannons.
APPLE, LOUIS VUITTON, AND HERMÈS STORES LOOTED
During the protests, stores of world-renowned brands were also targeted.
According to reports by the French newspaper Le Parisien, citing AFP, masked individuals on Rue Sainte-Catherine—one of Bordeaux's busiest shopping streets—entered numerous businesses, including Louis Vuitton and Apple stores, and looted the merchandise.
It was reported that an Apple store was looted in the city of Lille, while a Hermès store was attacked in Marseille.
The incidents were not limited to luxury stores alone. Supermarkets, pharmacies, clothing stores, and other commercial enterprises also became targets of the attacks.
VEHICLES SET ON FIRE IN PARIS
In the capital Paris, following the protests, some groups set parked vehicles on fire and smashed the windows of numerous stores.
Police teams used tear gas and water cannons to disperse groups throwing stones and various objects.
While businesses in some shopping districts in the city center suffered damage, security measures were increased due to looting and arson incidents.
Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire drew attention to the scale of destruction that occurred on some streets.
TOWN HALLS ALSO TARGETED
Public buildings also suffered severe damage during the incidents.
In Lyon, a tourism office was set on fire, while groups entering town halls in Marseille and Lille reportedly damaged various sections.
In the city of Limoges, a fire that broke out in the historic town hall caused major damage to the structure.
French authorities announced that an investigation has been launched into the attacks on public buildings.
1,200 ARRESTS, 150 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS INJURED
The French Ministry of the Interior announced that as of 3:00 PM on Saturday, 272 people had been detained nationwide.
However, as the incidents continued into the evening hours, this number rose rapidly.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced in a statement late at night that 1,200 people had been detained nationwide and 150 police officers and gendarmes were injured.
A definitive toll regarding the total number of civilians injured during the demonstrations has not yet been shared.
MACRON: THOSE RESPONSIBLE WILL BE TRIED
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the looting, arson, and attacks on public buildings that occurred during the protests.
In a statement on the social media platform X, Macron stated that those who damaged businesses and public institutions would be brought to justice and punished.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also criticized the incidents in harsh terms, drawing attention to the scale of violence during the demonstrations.
Lecornu emphasized that the right to peaceful demonstration must be distinguished from acts of looting and arson.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TAKE TO THE STREETS
The government and trade unions announced different figures regarding participation in the protests held against the rising cost of living in France.
The Ministry of the Interior reported that approximately 550,000 people participated in the nationwide demonstrations, while the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) announced the number of participants as 800,000.
The demonstrations, organized against the cost of living, income inequality, and problems in public services, have in recent weeks merged with protests by students reacting to inadequacies in the field of education.
The transformation of the demonstrations into looting and clashes in some regions has reopened the debate in the country regarding security policies as well as economic problems.
