Paris police arrest record 855 people as protests, violence erupt

Key points

• French police detained a record 855 people on Saturday amid nationwide protests against rising living costs.
• Cars, bins and a kiosk burned in Paris as police used tear gas and water cannons on violent protesters.
• Violence also hit Lyon, Limoges, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble, officials said.

French police detained a record 855 people on Saturday during nationwide protests that turned violent in Paris and other cities, the interior ministry said Sunday. Demonstrators rallied against rising living costs and in support of high school students' grievances, answering social media calls to revive the "yellow vest" movement that began in 2018.

In Paris, cars, bicycles and trash bins were set on fire and several shops were looted. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at people wearing hoods and masks who threw fireworks, paving stones and other objects at officers near the Place de la République. Several people were injured, and many metro stations closed at police request.

Violence spreads beyond Paris

In Lyon, where about 20,000 people marched, a fire broke out inside a tourist office. In Limoges, the region's top official said masked protesters broke into a town hall and set it on fire, causing the spire to collapse; Maurice Barate, prefect for the Haute-Vienne department, told LCI that "a wild horde" had "deliberately" set fire to the 143-year-old building.

In Marseille, shops and a municipal police station were damaged and protesters briefly entered the City Hall lobby. Mayor Benoît Payan told BFM TV the damage there was "limited" but "unacceptable." Officials also reported violence by masked groups in Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble.

There's a general sense of frustration and anger

— protester Sonia Mabrouk

Marches and union backing

Most protesters joined a peaceful march toward northwestern Paris, chanting the national anthem and waving flags. The CGT union, which backed the rallies, said more than 500,000 people took part and called for higher wages and pensions, lower prices and protection of public services.

Student groups protesting since mid-September through school blockades urged supporters to join. Far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who backed the students' movement, took part in the Paris protest. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's office reported a growing number of violent incidents, including assaults on officers and damage to public buildings.