Paris, France – France is counting the cost of a day of unrest after hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets nationwide, in the largest mobilisation since protests over education reforms and the cost of living began last month. At Place de la Republique, in the heart of the French capital, people on Sunday surveyed the previous day’s destruction in dismay: smashed windows, gutted buildings, looted shops. Staring at the burned skeleton of what used to be a newspaper stand, 56-year-old Claire was also shaken.
I’m actually quite overcome with emotion.” Nearby, the statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic, was covered in graffiti. The student-led protests began in mid-September, caused by grievances ranging from overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages to systemic inequality and a lack of opportunity. The movement quickly spilled out of the schoolyards and into the streets, tapping into broader social and economic anxieties.
On Saturday, these complaints converged in a mobilisation that saw a nationwide turnout of 550,000 people, according to authorities; unions and organisers put the estimate at 800,000. But while the vast majority of demonstrators rallied peacefully, the scale of the violent unrest threatened to eclipse their message. In Paris, there was also heavy use of tear gas and stun grenades by the police, including before the start of the march, which set the tone for a tense day.
I was there from start to finish, and it was very peaceful – just all kinds of people, all of them nonviolent,” said Stephanie, a 23-year-old Parisian student. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose second and final term ends next year, will give a televised address to the nation at on Sunday after meeting government ministers, his office announced. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said nearly 1,800 people had been arrested – almost half of them in Paris – and more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters had been injured in the unrest.
Causing disorder through violence and in a concerted manner is not,” he said on Sunday. During Saturday’s protest in Paris, Al Jazeera saw groups of black-clad, masked young men smashing shop windows with what appeared to be golf clubs before fleeing with bags of stolen goods. In Marseille, France’s second-largest city, dozens of shops were looted and a group of people broke into the city hall before being forced out.
In Limoges, footage showed flames engulfing the city hall as the fire spread through the historic building. Public buildings were also damaged in Bordeaux and other cities. Police conduct has also come under scrutiny.
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