Police across France have arrested at least 1,800 people after violent groups clashed with officers and looted stores during demonstrations throughout the country, which drew hundreds of thousands of people protesting against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
French President Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting with senior state officials this afternoon, after which he will address the nation at 8:00 p.m., his office announced.
Authorities reported that masked groups set fires and attacked public buildings, including city hall buildings, in several cities on Saturday.
Paris police announced today that 855 people were arrested in the region of the French capital alone.
According to official data, about 550,000 people participated in protests across France, while organizers claim there were about 800,000. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were injured.
One person died of a heart attack, Paris police reported, without providing details.
Around Paris’s Place de la République, uprooted cobblestones, smashed shop windows, and shards of glass testified to the aftermath of the unrest.
In Paris, clashes with riot police units continued yesterday until the evening hours, with tear gas and water cannons used against the crowds.
Hundreds of thousands of students have protested in recent weeks over a lack of teachers and dilapidated school facilities in French high schools.
They were joined by union members and other groups. Among them is the “Yellow Vests” movement, which previously protested against rising living costs.
Your perspective is part of the story
Start the discussion and be the first to comment on this story.