Paris, Oct 18: More than 2,000 people have been arrested during violent protests across France on Saturday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Sunday.
In a post on social media platform X, Nunez said that protests in some cities continued late into Saturday night, adding that investigations were underway to identify the perpetrators of the violent acts and bring them to justice. More than 600 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters have been injured in the violence so far, he said, citing provisional figures, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Material damage was considerable, affecting several hundred businesses, he said. “Demonstrating is a fundamental right. Causing disorder through coordinated violence is not,” Nunez said.
Around 550,000 people took part in protests across France on Saturday. Numerous attacks on public buildings, police stations and businesses were reported during the demonstrations.
Violent clashes erupted between police and protesters in Paris and other parts of France on Saturday on the sidelines of the nationwide marches against rising inflation, with protesters setting fire to many places and looters breaking into dozens of shops to strip them bare.
Gatherings, demonstrations banned in Marseille
The police prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhone in southern France on Monday banned all gatherings and demonstrations throughout the city of Marseille from noon to 8 pm local time (1800 GMT), according to a post on X by the police prefecture. French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed legal action against those responsible for violence during protests across the country on Saturday. Tens of thousands of people flooded streets across major European cities over the weekend, venting mounting anger over surging living costs, housing shortages, and strained public services, Xinhua news agency reported.
From violent clashes in France and Italy to widespread rallies in Portugal, the simultaneous wave of social unrest underscores a deepening socio-economic divide and growing public frustration across the continent.
Macron said Saturday on the social platform X that there is no place for violence in France. “Those who have engaged in destruction…will be prosecuted and punished,” he said.
French PM calls for curfews to curb rioting
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu says he has instructed prefects, the government’s regional representatives, to impose “very limited” and “localised” curfews to prevent more rioting and looting, following weekend violence that targeted city halls, other public buildings and thousands of businesses across the country.
Speaking after an emergency meeting with top government officials, Lecornu said “on Saturday, despite scenes of severe violence and extensive property damage, no one was killed, and that is a miracle” as he defended the work of police officers faced with violent groups of people. (Agencies)