- Marion Erskine, a South African author living in Nantes, France, witnessed fires and looting as violent unrest swept across the country
- The protests, rooted in frustration over rising living costs and education, forced his university to suspend classes ahead of his French diploma exams
- Erskine drew on his South African background to make sense of what he was seeing, offering a perspective that challenged simple narratives about the unrest
Source: UGC
A South African living in France has found himself in the middle of widespread civil unrest, watching fires burn and shops get looted as protests over the cost of living turned violent across the country.
Marion Erskine, a 50-year-old author and radio playwright originally from Westonaria in Gauteng, moved to France in 2023 after years of living abroad in the United States, Taiwan and the UAE. He now lives in Nantes, where he had been studying French full-time on a year-long sabbatical to complete his language diploma.
Unrest disrupts life in Nantes
According to a BBC report, peaceful demonstrations turned violent after masked activists and vandals infiltrated the crowds. Around 1,500 shops and businesses were looted and destroyed nationwide, and France's interior ministry confirmed that roughly 1,000 police officers were injured in the clashes, seven of them seriously. Overnight curfews were imposed in parts of central Paris and other cities, while historical landmarks, including Limoges Town Hall, sustained damage.
Speaking to Caxton, Erskine described witnessing people setting fires and looting in person. He linked the anger to the rising cost of living and a sense that the education system was failing young people. He said:
"From my perspective, life has become very expensive. Petrol prices have increased drastically around the world because of the situation in the Middle East right now, which was not caused by South Africa or France, but we are all suffering."
He also noted that while public education in France is technically free, teacher shortages and deteriorating school facilities have left students feeling overlooked.
Classes suspended before diploma deadline
The unrest hit close to home when Erskine's university suspended classes just weeks before his examinations. He has until 3 December to finish coursework for his French diploma, and the disruption has put that timeline under pressure.
He said fellow international students in his class, including refugees from Iran and Ukraine, have also struggled to keep up. Building closures and limited internet access at their accommodation have made it difficult to attend lessons or reach online learning materials.
Erskine was clear that he distinguishes between those protesting peacefully and those exploiting the situation. Referring to the looting and destruction, he said:
"It is not the normal students who are doing this."
His years in South Africa gave him a lens through which to interpret what French citizens are going through, even if the scale of hardship differs.
"When I hear the average French person talking, it feels to me like they are complaining with a white baguette under their arm, but I realise that this is their reality and their hurt. I, as a South African, cannot tell them they do not know what real suffering is."
Despite everything, Erskine says he feels safe, staying alert and avoiding areas where trouble has flared.
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More Briefly News stories on France protests
- A historic Limoges town hall was destroyed by fire during nationwide France protests over school conditions, inequality and the rising cost of living overnight.
- Masked protesters looted a Louis Vuitton store in France during a demonstration, as viral footage sparked global debate over whether theft advances a cause.
- Violent riots have hit France, with over 550,000 protesters on the streets. DIRCO urges South Africans in France to register as safety concerns grow.
Source: Briefly News
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