France woke on Sunday to scenes of widespread damage after a day of riots and demonstrations, with shopfronts shattered, burnt-out cars, charred bikes, and piles of glass and debris on the pavements of Paris. Police arrested about 1,800 people on Saturday as some 550,000 demonstrators took to the streets. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
The protests were against rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools. Groups of rioters, some dressed in black and wearing masks and balaclavas, also came out in Paris, Marseille and other towns and cities, with some setting fire to cars and buildings.
In Paris, protesters clashed with riot police, who turned tear gas and water cannon on the crowds. At least one restaurant was gutted by fire, and the BBC saw fighting breaking out among some groups. Riot police were seen charging at one crowd in central Paris and hitting several people with batons. In Marseille, protesters broke into the city hall using a metal fence as a battering ram. In Lille, a McDonald's was set on fire, police said, and an Apple store was broken into and looted. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 150 police officers were injured.
In Paris on Sunday morning, residents surveyed the damage, including smashed glass frontages of designer stores Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Versace. Many shops were daubed with graffiti reading "tax the rich" and "eat the rich." The BBC visited a clothes shop near Place de la République that had been ransacked, with piles of clothes and furniture scattered across the floor. The shop's distraught owner told the BBC he saw looters on CCTV who were in the shop for just over an hour and a half, and that he saw no police during that time. He did not believe any of those who robbed the shop were genuine protesters against school conditions or the cost of living, saying they were taking advantage of the demonstrations.
CCTV footage shown on France's Channel 2 shows groups of teenagers, mostly wearing masks, in a mobile phone shop helping themselves to items from the shelves.
Student protests in France have seen hundreds of thousands take to the streets since they began late last month. Protesters demand additional investment in schools, criticising the lack of teachers and staff, overcrowded classrooms and run-down buildings.
In Lyon, Mayor Grégory Doucet said the burning of the city's tourist office was "a tragedy," telling BFMTV that "it breaks our hearts because it's a very iconic, well-known historic building." Local police said "hostile individuals" prevented firefighters from safely tackling the blaze. Fire crews also battled a fire at Limoges town hall, which caused part of the building to collapse. Local officials said the town hall was "largely lost." "A wild horde" had "deliberately" set fire to the 143-year-old building, said Maurice Barate, the prefect for the Haute-Vienne department.
In Saint-Étienne, a young man "had his hand blown off" by a small explosive, the city's Mayor Régis Juanico said on social media. "Such a tragedy should never have happened," he said.
France's interior ministry said Saturday's protests involved "targeted acts of violence" from "hooded individuals" in places including parts of the capital and also in Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse, and the western city of Angers. Damage to buildings was reported across France, including in Grenoble, Avignon, Pau, Montpellier and Valence.