Unrest flared across France on Saturday as demonstrations against rising living and fuel costs built on weeks of high school protests, heightening a sense of fiscal and social crisis. Some calls for demonstrations came from social media accounts tied to the "yellow vest" movement that roiled France nearly a decade ago over high gas prices. Officials reported rallies in roughly 110 places by early afternoon, with large marches later in major cities including Paris, Lyon, Nantes and Rennes.
The protests marked a convergence between a student-focused movement unsettling hundreds of schools and a broader social movement appealing to citizens of different ages. Confrontations between police and rioters erupted in several cities. In Marseille, France's second-largest city, people briefly broke into City Hall and knocked over a bust of Marianne, a symbol of the French Republic, before police cleared them out.
A tourism office in Lyon was broken into and set on fire by rioters, many dressed in black, masks and goggles. In Paris, where thousands marched peacefully, a few hundred rioters faced off against riot police, mostly in Place de la République, a central square, according to police.
The unrest reflects deepening public frustration over economic pressures, echoing the 2018 "yellow vest" protests that first emerged over fuel tax increases and broader cost-of-living concerns.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing