Looters ransacked luxury boutiques, electronics outlets, supermarkets and other businesses across several French cities on Saturday as protests against the rising cost of living descended into widespread violence, with authorities reporting mass arrests, injured police officers and fires.In Marseille, protesters vandalised dozens of shops, including luxury brand Hermès and stores selling jewellery, clothes, cosmetics, household appliances and bread, AFP reported. Firefighters also intervened to extinguish a blaze at a shoe shop.In Paris, looters smashed the window of a skincare store near République Square and threw beauty products to crowds gathered outside. A telecommunications shop was also broken into, with mobile phones tossed into the crowd. Nearby, a bar called La Barrique caught fire, while youths raided a supermarket and threw bottles and cans at police officers.Shops were also vandalised in Lille, where looters broke into an Apple Store in the city centre, according to Socialist mayor Arnaud Deslandes. In Nice, several businesses, including sportswear outlets and a motorcycle dealership, were targeted.The looting was part of wider unrest that erupted during nationwide demonstrations against inflation and declining purchasing power. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said late Saturday that 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers injured.
Violence spreads across French cities
The protests drew an estimated 550,000 participants nationwide, according to the interior ministry, while the CGT trade union put the figure at 800,000.Police used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators who threw projectiles and fireworks. In the southern city of Saint-Etienne, a 17-year-old boy lost his right hand after being struck by a crowd-control grenade.Masked groups subsequently moved through several cities, setting fires, attacking businesses and breaking into shops to steal goods. AFP reporters in Paris observed groups of young men wearing masks and gloves disconnecting security cameras before smashing shop windows.Businesses targeted included supermarkets, pharmacies, luxury boutiques, clothing retailers, opticians, cosmetics stores and consumer electronics outlets in Paris, Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Limoges, Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg.Public buildings were also attacked. In Limoges, a fire largely destroyed the city’s more than 140-year-old town hall after masked protesters broke into the building, according to the region’s top official. Town halls in Marseille and Lille were also vandalised, while a police compound in Bordeaux was attacked and a tourist office in Lyon was set ablaze.President Emmanuel Macron vowed action against those responsible.“those who carried out vandalism, attacked administrative offices or businesses, or carried out looting — even in our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished,” Macron said on X.
Inflation fuels public anger ahead of elections
The demonstrations reflect growing public anger over the cost of living, with purchasing power in France declining since 2024 and fuel prices rising following the US-Iran war earlier this year.The unrest also comes amid weeks of student protests and mounting criticism of the government over perceived police brutality against high-school students. France is preparing for presidential elections in 2027, with political uncertainty adding to the tensions.The demonstrations were supported by the Yellow Vest movement, which staged mass protests against Macron’s government eight years ago over planned fuel tax increases. Saturday’s mobilisation also drew protesters angry over inequality, political leadership and the concentration of wealth.In Paris, demonstrators chanted slogans against the police and called for Macron’s resignation. Some protesters invoked the French Revolution, while others criticised politicians and the growing wealth of the ultra-rich.Opposition leaders sought to capitalise on the unrest. Far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen condemned the rioters and accused the party of her left-wing rival, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, of legitimising violence. Mélenchon, who had supported the demonstrations, urged protesters to avoid looting, calling it “contrary to our methods”.The protests have intensified pressure on the French government as it confronts economic discontent, public anger over policing and a wave of violence across major urban centres.
