France hit by worst riots in years as cost-of-living protests erupt

Riots erupted in cities across France on Saturday as protests over rising living costs and deteriorating public services spiraled out of control, marking some of the worst violence the country has seen in decades.

While hundreds of thousands marched peacefully in dozens of cities, violent groups targeted public buildings, looted luxury stores and supermarkets, and attacked police vehicles and officers.

In Limoges, the city hall was set on fire; in Marseille, protesters dressed in black stormed the city hall and defaced it with chaotic graffiti; and in Lyon, demonstrators torched the city’s tourism office.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government would not "bow to intimidation" and blamed the unrest on the "far left" and lawbreakers, just months ahead of next year’s presidential election.

In a post on X, he wrote: "To those who clearly want to use this violence as a 'prelude' to the presidential election, I say clearly: we will not be intimidated. No one will impose their political agenda through violence."

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters that around 400 people had been arrested following the violence, most of them adults.

He added that about 550,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide. The French trade union federation told Reuters it estimated the number of protesters at around 800,000.

President Emmanuel Macron vowed to pursue and punish those responsible for the attacks.

He wrote on X: "We will all stand united against the troublemakers, who seek only to undermine our institutions and prevent those expressing their demands peacefully from doing so."

Belgium, Portugal, and Italy also saw smaller protests on Saturday as living costs rise across Europe, while demonstrators in Albania gathered again to protest what they see as government corruption, lack of jobs, and poor education standards.

Protesters said most people marched peacefully, blaming much of the violence on rioters intent on causing damage and clashing with police. Many carried signs with slogans against the police, the president, and the wealthy.

Lola, a 19-year-old protester in Paris, said: "We are fighting because the cost of living is too high, because fuel prices are very high, and because high school students are being violently assaulted and injured across the country just for trying to protest and demand more teachers and decent learning conditions."