France arrests more than 1,800 after protest turns violent

Istanbul (ANTARA) – A total of 1,800 people were arrested during and after nationwide protests over the cost of living involving the Yellow Vests movement in France, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Sunday, following widespread clashes, arson and looting.

More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, Nunez said on social media platform X.

He said the injury figure was provisional. Investigations are under way to identify those responsible, while hundreds of businesses suffered significant material damage.

According to the Interior Ministry, 550,000 people took part in demonstrations across France on Saturday (17 October), including 110,000 in Paris. Organisers put the turnout at about 800,000.

The protests involved the Yellow Vests movement, trade unions, students and farmers. Although the main march in Paris passed without major incident, violence broke out at several sites outside the demonstrations in a number of cities.

A protester died after collapsing on Boulevard Magenta in Paris. Police said the person had suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest. The newspaper Le Parisien also reported that a 17-year-old lost a hand after being struck by a police grenade in Saint-Etienne.

Paris police announced 855 arrests, while prosecutors separately reported 720 arrests, including 517 people who had been detained. Prosecutors added that the figures were not final.

In Limoges, a fire engulfed the historic town hall. Shops were also looted and buildings damaged in other cities, including Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will chair an interministerial crisis meeting on Sunday at 19:00 local time to discuss the economic impact, insurance and legal follow-up. He will also meet the mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon, who have requested explanations about the deployment of police personnel and the handling of the unrest.

National Assembly Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet is considering setting up a parliamentary inquiry commission and will meet parliamentary group leaders on Tuesday, BFMTV reported.

Lecornu blamed “far-left” groups for the violence, while several opposition figures criticised police tactics. Green Party politician Marine Tondelier called for Nunez to resign.

Carrefour chief executive Alexandre Bompard said more than 50 of the company’s stores had been affected, with losses estimated at several million euros.