Over 1,200 arrested in French unrest as mayor says whole Paris streets devastated
More than 1,200 people were arrested across France on Saturday in protests that began with students angry over the cost of living. Paris's mayor says whole streets in the capital were devastated, while a fire largely destroyed the town hall in Limoges.
France is recovering from its worst protests in years, after demonstrations on Saturday that began as student protests over the cost of living saw buildings attacked and set ablaze across the country. Police arrested more than 1,200 people. Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said whole streets in the city had been devastated. Authorities are now waiting to see whether the unrest will continue into another day.
How it began
The protests started last month at schools in the poor northern suburbs of Paris. Anger over teacher absences and shabby facilities quickly grew into a nationwide movement against inequality, weak public spending and falling standards.
On Saturday, other groups angry about high prices and the fraying of the social welfare system joined in. Hundreds of thousands marched peacefully in scores of cities, but violent fringe groups targeted public buildings, luxury boutiques and supermarkets, and attacked police vehicles and officers. Police fired teargas.
Arrests and damage
Prime minister Sébastien Lecornu said late on Saturday that 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers hurt. In Paris alone, 855 people were detained, which Agence France-Presse reported was the highest number ever for a single event.
Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said the official demonstration had been hijacked by casseurs, "opportunistic delinquents who had seen a chance to pillage and loot", and promised they would be found and dealt with firmly. Paris deputy mayor Lamia El Aaraje said the capital had been hit by a level of violence that she believed had never been seen before.
In Limoges, in central France, the town hall was "largely lost" to a fire set by masked protesters, the top regional official told AFP.
