Protests have spread across France today with widespread violence and looting reported
A mother and daughter from Edinburgh have been caught up in student protests in France as violence sweeps across the country amid clashes between young people and police.
Mum Xanthe O’Brien is visiting her daughter Flora, 20, who is working as an English language assistant at a primary school in Orléans.
Protests have spread across France this weekend, from Paris to Marseille, with widespread looting, arson and vandalism reported as student protests over conditions in schools expand into demonstrations against the rising cost of living.
Mrs O’Brien and her daughter have been told to stay in their hotel room as protests escalated this afternoon.
The mother and daughter witnessed an organised march in the city, which is around 75 miles south-west of Paris.
After returning to their hotel, the mood shifted as large numbers of young people in balaclavas congregated near the station, with police moving to disperse them and tear gas fired.
Mrs O’Brien said: “We went downstairs to reception and the doors had been shut and the women said, ‘don’t go out, it is not safe’.
“There were lots of young people, lots of boys, I’d say aged around 14 or 15, standing there with balaclavas on.
“Then the police were throwing lots of tear gas to try and disperse them, and the police kept moving up the street to get them to retreat.
“Eventually, they did enough to get them to move out of the old town, where all the shops and hotels are. They have now dispersed, but we can see the police outside the balcony window now, with riot shields, manning the train station.
“They had an organised protest earlier, but it was quite orderly.
“We came up to the hotel around 5pm, and I looked out the window and could see all these young people shouting and chanting, trying to get trouble.
“Then they started throwing this tear gas.
“We went downstairs and the doors were shut. The woman wouldn’t have stopped us going out, but she said, ‘don’t go, it’s not safe,’ and we went back to the bedroom.”
They had to come in from the balcony because of the strength of the tear gas.
Mrs O’Brien said: “There was so much of it, it started to rise up, and we came in and shut the door. I don’t know if we will get out later or not.
“The protesters, the kids, keep throwing fireworks. They are not giving up.”
In Paris, cars have been set on fire and shops have been looted as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent protesters who joined nationwide demonstrations against rising living costs and in support of high school students’ grievances.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez’s office described “a growing number of violent incidents”, including assaults on police officers, looting or attempted looting of shops, and damage to public buildings.
Police have made at least 272 arrests across the country.