France on Sunday assessed the extent of the damage caused by a day of violence, looting, and chaos that saw more than 1,800 people arrested and overshadowed a protest movement that drew hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against the high cost of living, six months before the presidential election.
Faced with escalating social tensions and paralyzed by the lack of a parliamentary majority, the government pledged to deal firmly with the rioters.
The riots were more intense than those seen during the 2023 protests and the "Yellow Vest" demonstrations of 2018 and 2019, according to AFP correspondents.
In Paris, as in the streets of other major cities, hundreds of businesses and shops were targeted, and entire streets were littered with debris and the charred remains of motorcycles. Local authorities said entire streets were systematically vandalized.
AFP correspondents in Paris reported that small groups of young people were carrying out the looting in an organized manner. Wearing masks and gloves, they disabled security cameras before smashing shop windows and breaking into stores.
In Marseille (south), Lille (north), and Bordeaux (southwest), protesters stormed and vandalized town halls and prefectures. In Limoges (central France), a fire destroyed a large part of the town hall, a massive 19th-century structure, according to local authorities.
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed on the X platform to prosecute and punish "all those who committed acts of vandalism, attacked institutions or businesses, or participated in looting."
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Sunday that more than 1,800 people had been arrested, adding on the X platform, "Investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators of these acts so they can be brought to justice."
The minister explained that "more than 500 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were injured during the violence."
A number of protesters were also injured, some seriously, particularly in Saint-Étienne (central France), where a 17-year-old boy had his hand amputated after being struck by a police stun grenade.
"It's a miracle the toll isn't higher this evening," said Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu after a nighttime visit to security forces.
- A "very high" cost -
The Interior Ministry estimated the number of protesters at around 550,000, but organizers claimed 800,000.
"I came to protest the high cost of living, to say that we're tired of toiling for meager wages while rents keep rising," said Régine Monfreux, a social worker who was among the protesters.
The protests and the ensuing riots have sparked mixed reactions among political parties. While Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical left-wing party "France Unbowed," participated in a demonstration in Paris calling for an end to the violence and vandalism, Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader leading in the polls, affirmed that her party, the National Rally, stands with the police, arguing that the left's position "legitimizes violence" and is pushing the country toward chaos.
Six months before the presidential elections, the political confrontation between Mélenchon and Le Pen is intensifying, with several polls indicating a possible runoff between them.
As the violence continued late into the evening, particularly in Paris, Lecornu warned that "the financial cost of the damage will be enormous."
On Sunday, Alexandre Bompard, president of the French Federation of Retail and Distribution, estimated that 1,500 stores were directly affected by the violence, and the total damage bill would reach hundreds of millions of euros.
He told LCI television that it was "a bit too early" to assess the extent of the damage, but noted that "1,500 French businesses were directly affected," adding that the cost would be "very high."
- Fears for Tourism -
Faced with the scenes of vandalism, Cécile Rogge, who works for a tour operator, anticipated negative repercussions for her business.
"This isn't a good image for tourism," she told AFP. "The Pope was here two weeks ago, and the atmosphere was completely different."
At the Réaumur-Sébastopol metro station in Paris, a tourist who declined to give her name said, "It was terrifying. I was very scared."
At the République metro station, the smell of tear gas still lingered in the air.
In the streets surrounding Place de la République, another epicenter of the violence, cleanup efforts were underway but not yet complete.
Two security guards and a muzzled dog stood watch over the smashed storefront of Dartie, a home appliance store.
Trash and tear gas canisters still littered the sidewalks in some areas, and charred bicycles were piled up to avoid obstructing traffic.
In front of the looted Marionettes cosmetics store on Rue de la République, the damage was still evident: a shattered storefront, torn boxes lying on the ground, and bags and decorative items trampled underfoot.
The alarm continued to sound, as no one had yet arrived to secure the store, whose window remained wide open.
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