Protests erupt across France over rising living costs
A car and a newspaper kiosk were set on fire in Paris as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups of protesters, while similar tensions erupted in other big cities on the fringes of nationwide demonstrations against rising living costs and in support of high school students’ grievances, reports BritPanorama.
In Lyon, France’s third-largest city, fire broke out inside a tourist office. Smoke and flames were visible rising from the building.
In the southern port city of Marseille, some shops and a municipal police station were damaged, while protesters briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall.
In Paris, police confronted individuals wearing hoods and masks who were throwing fireworks and other objects at officers in the Place de la République, northeast of the city center. Large numbers of riot police were deployed in the square and surrounding streets.
Despite the violence, the majority of peaceful protesters joined the march heading towards northwestern Paris.
Protesters across France responded to calls on social media to revive the “yellow vest” movement, which originally emerged in 2018 against social injustice. Student groups, actively protesting since mid-September through school blockades, urged supporters to join them.
The CGT, one of France’s major labor unions, also backed the protests, calling for “higher wages and pensions, lower prices and the protection of public services that meet people’s needs.”
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s office reported 140 protest actions outside the Paris region by midday, involving over 30,000 people. Authorities announced at least 166 arrests across the country.
Nuñez’s office highlighted violence perpetrated by masked individuals in Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse, and Angers.
President Emmanuel Macron appealed for calm, stating, “There is a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself. But this right comes with the need to respect. Respect for people, respect for property, and therefore a commitment not to insult or destroy.”
Police banned several proposed gatherings in central Paris. Many metro stations were closed at police request, including those around the Champs-Elysées and near key political sites.
In recent weeks, France has witnessed thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries, and schools set ablaze as nationwide student protests have influenced the country’s presidential election campaign while drawing international attention.
Particularly gruesome injuries suffered by some teenagers have been attributed to police riot-control weapons. Following the loss of a hand by a 15-year-old due to a police stun grenade, Nuñez suspended the use of this type of weapon against younger demonstrators.
On Tuesday, climate and social justice activist Greta Thunberg joined students at a high school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.
