France protests: Thousands in streets over rising cost of living, poor services - Mini French Revolution? What went wrong?

More than 1,000 people were detained in France on Saturday (local time) after demonstrations turned violent in several cities, unrest spread outside the capital and several government buildings caught fire.

The country awoke to devastated streets on Sunday after a nationwide outbreak of clashes, mass looting and fires, as marches against the rising cost of living descended into “extreme” violence, according to reports. The widespread unrest, which turned violent on Saturday, came after weeks of student protests and roughly six months before elections to replace President Emmanuel Macron.

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Hundreds of thousands of protesters in the streets: Here’s what’s happening

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, more than 550,000 people took part in the demonstrations across the country, while the CGT union told Reuters it estimated attendance at around 800,000.

Reuters reported that the historic town hall in Limoges, central France, had caught fire and footage showed the roof coming off. In Marseille, black-clad protesters forced their way into the town hall and vandalized it, while in Lyon protesters set fire to the city’s tourist office.

According to Reuters, peaceful demonstrations were held in many cities, but violent fringe groups attacked public buildings, looted luxury boutiques and supermarkets and targeted police vehicles and officers. Demonstrators blamed the violence on people who intended to cause harm, and said most participants were marching peacefully. Many carried placards criticizing the police, the president and the rich.

Several protesters tried to draw parallels with the French Revolution of 1789. “It’s a revolution – we’re taking the Bastille!” some shouted in Marseille as they forced their way into the mayor’s offices, AFP reported.

Police in Paris used tear gas and water cannons to push back hooded and masked people who threw fireworks, cobblestones and other objects at police in the northeast of the city center.

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Student protest is ugly: What happened?

The primary complaint was the rising cost of living, due in part to the war in the Middle East, which had caused inflation to soar in Europe and elsewhere. Protesters also criticized declining public services. The demonstrations escalated into some of the worst violence Paris has seen in decades.

The New York Times, citing the student union that is one of the main organizers of the movement, said that students in France have been protesting for a month over crumbling infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, overloaded schedules, shortages of teachers and staff and underfunded schools. Some are also calling for the abolition of state-run higher education admissions platforms, calling them unfairly selective.

The New York Times quoted a 15-year-old student as saying, “The classrooms are not ventilated and we can barely open the windows.”

A high school student taking part in the protests told Al Jazeera: “Everyone came together and asked the government to hear us loud and clear for the last time because what is happening is not right.”

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According to the AP, protesters across the country responded to social media calls to revive the 2018 “yellow vest” movement against social injustice. Protesters have expressed widespread frustration and anger as gasoline, energy and food prices have continued to rise over the past few months.

Unions and left-wing parties have rallied behind the demonstrations, linking them to wider public frustration that Emmanuel Macron is nearing the end of his presidency and unable to seek a third consecutive term.

The government’s initial approach has also come under criticism. According to Le Monde, the authorities underestimated the student movement and missed early warning signs as they focused on the next budget. As the demonstrations spread, disputes over police tactics, arrests and injuries added to the anger.

The reaction of the French government

The French government condemned the violence and responded strongly. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he had ordered prosecutors to pursue criminal charges wherever possible and try to hold the parents accountable for the damage.

In a post on X, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote: “There is no room for violence in our republic. Those who broke in, attacked prefectures and businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished. I express the support of the nation to the law enforcement forces, the guarantors of the right to demonstrate.”

He added: “We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos who seek only to overthrow our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands.”