France: looting and arson in Paris and Marseille as cost-of-living protests turn violent

Violence spreads from the afternoon

Protests against the high cost of living turned violent on Saturday, 17 October, overshadowing a large march that was otherwise peaceful. According to El Mundo, the disturbances started around one in the afternoon, when groups of young people dressed in black with covered faces provoked police, who answered with tear gas and water cannon. Notícias ao Minuto reported that the demonstrations also denounced the state of public education, the cost of living and police violence. By Sunday morning, streets around the Place de la République in Paris were strewn with burned cars, scooters and bicycles, smashed storefronts and barricades, and the statue of the Republic had been vandalised during the clashes.

Arrests and injuries

The figures are still moving and differ by source. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on the evening of 17 October that 1,200 people had been detained and 150 police officers injured across the country, and that the toll could have been higher. Later, French government data cited by Notícias ao Minuto put detentions at 1,800 and injured officers at more than 500. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called the injury count provisional and denounced attacks on security forces, public buildings and shops on social media. El Mundo's report from 18 October gave a figure of 2,000 detained, including people it described as having dangerous profiles.

Shops, city halls and the clean-up

Alexandre Bompard, president of the Fédération du commerce et de la distribution, said about 1,500 shops were damaged nationwide, many of them looted, and that losses could reach several hundred million euros. City halls in Paris, Marseille and Lyon demanded explanations from Lecornu about the lack of resources to contain the riots. Paris deputy mayor Lamia El Aaraje said the security forces had been overwhelmed and that groups had looted entire streets. Shops in the 11th arrondissement were looted after the march ended, and more than 1,000 agents worked on Sunday to clear debris, mainly between the Place de la République and the Saint-Martin gate.

Marseille and Toulon

In Marseille, the state representation for the Bouches-du-Rhône department counted more than 30,000 people involved in looting at the height of the riots, including 8,000 "violent protesters". The same report gave 99 arrests directly linked to the disorder and 118 injured security personnel.

In Toulon, prosecutor Raphaël Balland said 20 people had been placed in police custody, 17 adults and three minors. Two minor girls from Toulon were arrested in Marseille carrying goods stolen from a shop. So far, two adults who insulted officers were ordered to pay a "citizen contribution" to a victim-support association, two minors were referred for a citizenship course, and eight adults were released for lack of sufficient evidence. Several people were due before the Toulon prosecutor on Monday, 19 October, including one man to be tried in immediate appearance for violence against police. An investigation under the prosecutor's direction is ongoing.

Political fallout

Lecornu accused the far left of inciting violence to sow chaos ahead of the presidential election, ProTV reported. The election is about six months away, and RP Online commentary argues the unrest could shape the campaign, with the extremes at both ends of the political spectrum gaining from the disorder and Marine Le Pen cited as the poll frontrunner. That commentary also notes that France is heavily indebted after nine years under Emmanuel Macron, leaving the government less room than in 2018, when Macron defused the yellow vest crisis with billions in handouts.