Police and protesters clash in some of France's worst unrest in years

PARIS: Violent clashes erupted between police and protesters across France on Saturday (Oct 17), as hundreds of thousands of people protested against rising costs and declining public services in some of the country's most destructive unrest in years.

The Interior Ministry said at least 272 people had been arrested after violent incidents involving hooded individuals, including in Paris, Marseille in the south, Toulouse in the southwest, Angers in the west and Lyon in east-central France.

Belgium, Portugal and Italy also faced smaller-scale protests on Saturday as living costs rise in Europe, while protesters in Albania again rallied against perceived government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government would not be "intimidated" by violence, and blamed the unrest on the "far-left" and criminals just months before a presidential election next year.

"To those who clearly want to use this violence as a 'warm-up' before the presidential election, I say clearly: We will not let ourselves be intimidated. No one will impose their political agenda through violence," he wrote in a post on X.

The CGT union told Agence France-Presse news agency that 800,000 people across France had taken part in Saturday's protests. The Interior Ministry did not give an estimate, and the CGT did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Protesters said most people had marched peacefully, and put much of the violence down to troublemakers who had set out to cause damage and clash with the police.

"We are fighting because the cost of living is too harsh, because the price of fuel is too high, because high school pupils are being violently attacked and hurt all over the country just for trying to protest and ask for more teachers and decent learning conditions," said Lola, a 19-year-old protester in Paris.

TEAR GAS, FIRE AND LOOTING

In some parts of Paris, police occasionally fired tear gas rounds as they retreated in the face of mostly young protesters, many of whom were dressed in black and wore hoodies, masks and goggles to protect against tear gas.

By late afternoon, protesters reached prominent landmarks in central Paris, including the Champs-Elysees, Concorde and La Madeleine, which had been excluded from the authorised demonstration. On Saturday evening, as the protests wound down, protesters set ablaze objects including at least one car.

Some tourists at a fashionable department store near the Paris opera were seen spluttering when they were caught in clouds of tear gas, and shops nearby were hastily shuttered. Windows of many shops and restaurants in the capital were smashed, and cars and trash cans were set on fire.

In Lyon, protesters torched the tourist office.

In Marseille, the mayor said the town hall had been vandalised and that additional police were being sent to the city following talks with the government.

In protests partly inspired by those in France, several hundred mostly young people protested in Brussels, and some clashed with police. Belgian student groups have said they are protesting against rising education costs and reforms they fear will make higher education less accessible.

In Albania, police fired what appeared to be rubber bullets at protesters during a fifth day of mass student demonstrations calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down.

In Portugal, tens of thousands took to the streets of Lisbon following days of unrest to protest against housing and other living costs. Housing prices in Portugal have doubled since 2017, fuelling one of the worst affordability crises in Europe.

In Italy, a march against high costs of living in Milan degenerated into disorder, with police clearing the central Cathedral square with tear gas. Police in Bologna used water cannon to try to disperse crowds and made seven arrests after another protest turned violent, the ANSA news agency reported.

FRENCH POLICE RESPONSE UNDER SCRUTINY

The protests in France began last ‌month at high schools in Paris' poor northern suburbs, where anger over teacher shortages and shabby facilities evolved into a broader movement focused on inequality, public spending and living standards.

In Paris on Saturday, protesters in high-visibility vests blocked streets, recalling the Yellow Vest movement that marked President Emmanuel Macron's previous term in office.

Macron, who urged calm on Friday, is entering the final stretch of his presidency, facing a fragmented political landscape and growing pressure over the economy.

France's efforts to reduce public debt have failed to reassure investors, pushing government borrowing costs to their highest levels in over two decades.

Police tactics have drawn criticism following injuries among demonstrators, including a teenager who lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade. Lecornu said more than 900 police officers had also been injured in previous protests.

The police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence.