Politics
Protests against rising living costs in France have escalated into violent riots. In the French city of Limoges, masked demonstrators set fire to a 143-year-old historic town hall, causing its roof to collapse.
Protests against rising living costs in France have escalated into violent riots. In the French city of Limoges, masked demonstrators set fire to a 143-year-old historic town hall, causing its roof to collapse. The protests began in mid-September in the northern suburbs of Paris, where students demonstrated against teacher shortages and deteriorating school buildings. The movement later expanded into nationwide demonstrations against inflation, rising fuel prices, inequality, and the deteriorating state of public services. According to Reuters, demonstrators in Marseille stormed the city hall, overturned a statue of Marianne, the national symbol of the French Republic, and smashed furniture. In the city of Lille, the mayor’s office was also vandalized.
Demonstrators looted luxury-brand stores and supermarkets in several cities and attacked police vehicles and officers. Clashes between protesters and police occurred in Paris and other cities, prompting police to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government would not be intimidated by violence. He blamed far-left elements and criminal groups for the unrest, which has erupted just months before next year’s presidential election. In a post on X, Lecornu said, “To those who clearly want to use this violence as a dress rehearsal ahead of the presidential election, I say plainly that no one will be able to impose their political agenda through violence.” During visits to affected areas, Lecornu further reported that approximately 1,800 people had been arrested in connection with the protests.
According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, approximately 550,000 people participated in demonstrations across the country. However, the French trade union CGT told Reuters that it estimated the number of protesters at 800,000. President Emmanuel Macron vowed to prosecute and punish those involved in the attacks. In a post on X, he wrote, “We will remain united against all those who spread chaos, whose sole aim is to weaken our institutions and prevent people from expressing their demands peacefully.”
Lola, a 19-year-old protester in Paris, said, “We are fighting because the cost of living has become unbearable, fuel prices are extremely high, and high school students across the country are being subjected to violence simply for protesting and demanding more teachers and better educational conditions.” Amid rising living costs across Europe, smaller-scale demonstrations were also held in Belgium, Portugal, and Italy on Saturday.
Meanwhile, student-led anti-government protests continued for a fifth consecutive day in Tirana, the capital of Albania. Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over corruption and a lack of employment opportunities. Police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters.
