France Rocked by Widespread Protests and Looting
Over 500,000 demonstrators took to the streets as businesses were looted and a historic city hall was set ablaze.
Carla Rooney
More than 500,000 people demonstrated across France, leading to widespread unrest.
The 19th-century City Hall in Limoges burned, its roof collapsing under the blaze. Hundreds of businesses suffered looting across Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, and Nice; the Marseille city hall was also breached.
In Marseille alone, 107 police officers sustained injuries, with three remaining in serious condition. A teenager lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade, prompting a national police watchdog investigation into allegations of police violence.
Demonstrations first erupted in September at a high school in Creteil, southeast of Paris, over staff shortages. Separately, the police killing of a 17-year-old outside Paris in June 2023 reportedly triggered days of nationwide unrest.
President Emmanuel Macron called for a full security review. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis cabinet meeting Monday to assess the weekend's violence and looting.
France is burning!
Authorities imposed localized curfews, including an overnight curfew in two affected areas of Paris. In the Paris region, police took 557 people into custody following arrests; 78% were adults.
Donald Trump stated, "France is burning!" By Sunday, police arrested more than 2,000 people across the country.
Elsewhere, protests over poor living and education standards also took place in Albania, with 388 people charged with criminal offenses. In Milan, rioters clashed with police, looted stores, and set property on fire.
In neighboring Belgium, some schools closed in Liege, a day after violence and arrests there. In Lisbon, demonstrators protested on Rossio square on October 17.
A group of activists announced nationwide demonstrations planned for Saturday under the slogan “Macron must go.” Trade unions and the "yellow jacket" movement announced further protests for 5 November.
One protester died after suffering a cardiac arrest during a protest in Paris. The NFL plans to proceed with its scheduled game in Paris next week, stating no disruption to league sites.