Around 1,800 people were arrested after nationwide protests against rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services turned violent on Saturday, police and internal ministry figures reported. About 550,000 demonstrators took to the streets, with major outbreaks of rioting, arson and looting in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other cities. In Paris police used tear gas and water cannon as groups wearing masks set fires in the street, torched vehicles and smashed shopfronts including designer stores such as Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Versace. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, and the Retail and Trade Federation reported roughly 1,500 shops and retailers damaged. CCTV and eyewitness accounts showed looters brazenly filling baskets and fleeing stores, while in Marseille protesters forced entry to city hall using a metal fence as a battering ram. France's interior minister said the Republic will not yield, as residents and shopkeepers began clearing shattered glass and debris on Sunday morning.
