France counts the cost of violence and looting during day of action

More than 1,200 people were arrested and 150 police officers and gendarmes were injured during the protests over the poor conditions in schools and rising prices.

Several demonstrators were also injured, said security service officials.

In Saint-Étienne, western France, a 17-year-old had his hand blown off by a grenade thrown by security forces.

“Those who smashed things up, attacked prefectures and businesses, and looted our town halls will be prosecuted and punished,” said President Emmanuel Macron on social media.

 “We will stand united against those sowing chaos, whose only aim is to bring down our institutions.”

After visiting police and gendarmes on Saturday night, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, said: “It is a miracle that the toll is not heavier."

Limoges town hall in flames

In Limoges, southern France, firefighters battled through the night to extinguish a blaze at the 143-year-old town hall in the city centre.

"A wild horde deliberately set fire to it," regional administrator Maurice Barate told the French TV news channel LCI.

In Marseille, Lille, Angers and Bordeaux, demonstrators rampaged through town halls and key administrative buildings leaving a trail of broken statues and furniture. In Lyon, riot  police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters preventing emergency services from tackling a fire at the tourist office in one of the central squares.

In Paris, where police arrested 855 people, the deputy mayor, Lamia El Aaraje hit out at the lack of protection for shops and offices.

“It is unacceptable to see images of people vandalising businesses and physically attacking buildings,” she told French broadcaster franceinfo

"It was a level of violence that, I believe, we have never seen before in Paris."

Her boss, Emmanuel Grégoire, said he as well as the mayors of Marseille and Lyon had requested a meeting with Lecornu to discuss the deployment of security services during the day the action.

“Entire streets were systematically ravaged," he added.

Hospitality industry condemns violence 

“Our establishments are not punching bags," added Franck Chaumes, the president of the Union of Hotel and Restaurant Trades and Industries (Umih).

In a statement issued on Sunday, he added: "Our professionals cannot be the ones who foot the bill for violence after every demonstration.” 

In its statement, the Umih urged its members to contact their local departmental offices promptly so that it could quickly establish a precise and comprehensive assessment of the consequences of these events”.

Alexandre Bompard, president of the French Federation of Retail and Distribution (FCD), said he expected serious economic and financial consequences for shops and businesses.

Convergence of struggles

Following several weeks of unrest among secondary school pupils, the organisers of Saturday's day of mobilisation called for a “convergence of struggles” with former Yellow Vest protesters, against a backdrop of soaring fuel prices.

“I came to protest against the high cost of living, to say that we are fed up with working ourselves to the bone for poverty wages while seeing our rents constantly rise,” said Régine Monfroid, a demonstrator in Strasbourg, eastern France.

High school student Kamil Alahyan, 18, said: "I'm here for so many reasons –  the elections coming up in 2027, politicians who lie, the ultra-rich who've been taking more and more wealth over the past 10 years."

Ryad Rani, the head of the LSU high school student representative body, told journalists in Paris: "The government is trembling and it's right to tremble because when the French people are angry, they never let up."