Cities across France have grown volatile amid clashes between police and protesters centered around nationwide demonstrations. Following protests by hundreds of thousands of people on Saturday, more than 1,300 people have been arrested in incidents involving clashes, vandalism, and arson. At least 53 police officers were injured in the clashes. To control the situation, approximately 70,000 police officers were deployed nationwide.
Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators in various cities, including Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Lyon. In Marseille, makeshift barricades were set up on the streets and set on fire. In Bordeaux, several protesters attempted to build barricades by removing wooden panels from a building. Police also fired tear gas in Lyon.
According to estimates by the French Ministry of Interior, about 410,000 people participated in Saturday's protests. However, labor unions claimed that the number of protesters was around 800,000. Although most of the programs were peaceful at the beginning of the day, clashes spread to various locations later.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that several thousand radical activists had gathered at the rear of the protest march. Among them, about 500 have been identified as involved in the riots. In Paris alone, 142 people were arrested on Saturday.
The Interior Minister stated that two people were seriously injured in the clashes. One of them is a 20-year-old protester from the southwestern city of Toulouse, whose fingers on one hand were reportedly severed in an explosion. By Sunday dawn, seven businesses were reported to have been vandalized or looted in the Marseille region.
These protests are ongoing in response to the rising cost of living, excessive tax pressures, and the poor condition of educational institutions. Protesters allege that ordinary people have long been angered by government policies and harsh police conduct. Some young protesters have said that the movement will continue until the government responds to their demands. However, many have also criticized looting and vandalism taking place under the guise of the protests.
French President Emmanuel Macron directed this week that no protests other than those organized by recognized labor unions will be permitted. Following last week's incidents of violence, hundreds of people have been sentenced to prison through fast-track trial processes on charges of vandalism, arson, and looting.
Meanwhile, divisions have also emerged in France's political arena surrounding the protests. Right-wing and left-wing leaders are criticizing Macron's government for the violence. His term is scheduled to end next spring, and political tension is mounting ahead of the upcoming election.
According to government figures, approximately 550,000 people participated in last week's protests. At that time, more than 2,000 businesses were damaged due to violence, looting, and arson. The country's business associations stated that the amount of damage runs into hundreds of millions of euros.
Along with France, protests and clashes also occurred in several other European countries on Saturday. In Barcelona, Spain, student protests turned violent, leading to more than 120 arrests. Police used tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters in Albania's capital, Tirana. Clashes were also reported in Brussels, Belgium.
