Over 2,000 arrested, 600 emergency personnel injured as protests rock France

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - PARIS — More than 2,000 people have been arrested across France following nationwide cost-of-living protests that descended into violent clashes, arson and widespread looting, leaving more than 600 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters injured, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Sunday.

The unrest, which erupted on the sidelines of mass demonstrations involving Yellow Vest groups, trade unions, students and farmers, also caused extensive damage to businesses and public infrastructure across several major French cities.

In a statement on X, Nunez said the injury toll remained provisional as investigations continued to identify those responsible for the violence.

He added that several hundred businesses had suffered significant material damage.

Alexandre Bompard, president of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution and chief executive of Carrefour, said approximately 1,500 retailers had been affected, estimating the losses at hundreds of millions of euros.

Saturday's demonstrations drew an estimated 550,000 people nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry. Organizers, however, put the nationwide turnout at approximately 800,000.

Although the main demonstration in Paris proceeded without major incidents, violence erupted on the sidelines of protests in several cities, with rioters setting fires, looting shops and damaging public and private property.

In Paris, a demonstrator died after collapsing on Boulevard Magenta. Police said the individual had suffered cardiorespiratory arrest.

In Saint-Etienne, a 17-year-old lost a hand after being struck by a police grenade, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.

Paris police had earlier announced 855 arrests, while prosecutors separately reported 720 arrests, including 517 people placed in custody. Authorities said the figures were preliminary and subject to revision.

In Limoges, a major fire devastated the city's historic town hall, while shops were looted and buildings damaged in Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire announced the establishment of an emergency task force to assist affected businesses, assess the destruction and facilitate administrative and insurance procedures.

He also scheduled a meeting Monday with business owners, chambers of commerce, insurers and government agencies to coordinate the response.

"This Saturday, numerous businesses were targeted by unacceptable violence and looting. The extent of the damage is considerable and unprecedented," Gregoire wrote in an open letter.

"Nothing can justify such acts. No anger, no demand, however legitimate, can authorize attacks on those who work, who are driven entrepreneurs, and who keep our city alive every day," he added.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was scheduled to chair an interministerial crisis meeting at 7 p.m. Sunday to address the economic consequences of the unrest, insurance claims and judicial proceedings.

He was also expected to meet with the mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon, who demanded explanations over the deployment of police resources and the authorities' handling of the violence.

National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet is considering establishing a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the unrest, according to BFMTV.

She is expected to meet parliamentary group leaders Tuesday to discuss the proposal.

Meanwhile, calls for renewed demonstrations Sunday circulated on social media, including a planned gathering at Place de la Republique in Paris at 2 p.m., raising concerns among business owners about further violence.

The unrest has also intensified political pressure on the government over its handling of the demonstrations.

Lecornu blamed the violence on the "ultra-left," while opposition figures criticized police tactics and the authorities' response.

Green politician Marine Tondelier and lawmaker Alexis Corbiere called for Nunez's resignation, while the far-right National Rally renewed its demand for the interior minister to step down.