France buildings burn, luxury shops looted as 500,000 take to streets over rising living costs

Clouds of tear gas hung over Paris, flames engulfed buildings in several French cities and shops were ransacked as protests against rising living costs and deteriorating public services descended into violence across France on Saturday.

An estimated 550,000 people took to the streets across France, including 110,000 in Paris, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said, though protest organisers put the turnout higher.

More than 1,200 people were arrested as demonstrations turned violent, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said 150 police officers were injured in the clashes.

What began as student-led rallies over deteriorating school conditions has expanded into a broader movement involving trade unions and groups frustrated with the government's response to economic hardship and declining public services.

The main march in Paris appeared largely



peaceful during the afternoon, but the situation deteriorated as evening approached. Groups of protesters set fires in the streets, torched vehicles near prominent locations, including Place de la Republique, and clashed with riot police.

Officers deployed tear gas and water cannon, while footage showed police charging at crowds and striking several people with batons.

Shops were looted, businesses vandalised and at least one restaurant gutted by fire. In Bordeaux, protesters looted a Louis Vuitton store, while an Apple store in Lille was ransacked.

Clothing and food stores were also targeted in Paris, and government buildings in Lille and Marseille were reportedly broken into.

Photographs and videos showed protesters climbing historical statues as fires burned in the background, capturing the scale of the disorder that overtook parts of the demonstrations.