Violence dominates widespread protests in France - Sarmad

France is assessing the extent of the damage inflicted on the country on Sunday, a day after violent riots, looting, and chaos marred a protest involving hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against the high cost of living, just six months before the presidential elections.

Facing rising social tensions and a government paralyzed by its lack of a parliamentary majority, the administration has pledged to deal firmly with those inciting unrest.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporters, the riots were more severe than those during the 2023 protests and the “Yellow Vests” demonstrations of 2018 and 2019.

In Paris, as in the streets of major cities, hundreds of businesses and shops were targeted. Rubble and the skeletons of burned-out motorcycles covered entire streets. Local authorities stated that “entire streets were systematically vandalized.”

AFP reporters in Paris reported that small groups of young men carried out organized looting. Individuals, wearing masks and gloves, disabled surveillance cameras before smashing shop windows and breaking in.

In Marseille (south), Lille (north), and Bordeaux (southwest), protesters stormed and vandalized municipal and prefectural buildings. In Limoges (central France), a fire consumed a large part of the town hall, a massive structure dating back to the 19th century, according to local authorities.

French President Emmanuel Macron pledged via the platform X to pursue and punish “anyone who committed acts of vandalism, attacked institutions or companies, or participated in looting.”

Authorities reported that 1,200 people were arrested on Saturday and that 150 security personnel were injured in clashes with protesters.

Several protesters were also injured, some seriously, particularly in Saint-Étienne (central France), where a 17-year-old young man had his hand amputated after being hit by a police grenade.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, after a night visit to security forces, said, “It is a miracle that the toll is not higher this evening.”

The Interior Ministry estimated the number of protesters at around 550,000, while organizers claimed the figure reached 800,000.

Régine Monfroy, a social worker who was among the protesters, said, “I came to protest against the high cost of living and to say that we are tired of working hard for meager wages while rent continues to rise.”

The protests and accompanying riots have sparked divergent reactions among political parties. While Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical left party La France Insoumise, participated in a march in Paris calling for distance from violence and vandalism, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who leads in opinion polls, affirmed that her party, the National Rally, stands with the police. She criticized the left’s stance, arguing that it “legitimizes violence” and pushes the country toward chaos.

With six months until the presidential elections, political confrontation between Mélenchon and Le Pen has intensified, with several polls suggesting they could face each other in the second round.

As violence continued late into the evening, particularly in Paris, Lecornu warned that “the financial cost of the damage will be steep.”

Alexander Bombart, president of the Retail and Distribution Union, said he expects “significant economic and financial consequences.”