France protests: "There's a constant back and forth over who's actually responsible"
The government has blamed the violence on hard-left and ultra-left groups, as well as criminals it says instigated the looting. We discuss this with international affairs commentator Matthew-Mary Caruchet and our reporter Antonia Kerrigan.
France experienced widespread damage from violent protests on Saturday, with 1,800 people arrested, a historic town hall torched, and numerous shops looted across major cities. President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation Sunday evening as investigations began to identify perpetrators. Paris deputy mayor Lamia El Aaraje stated that the level of violence was unprecedented.
Around 1,500 businesses suffered damage, causing losses in the hundreds of millions of euros. One person died during the main march in Paris, though officials said it was health-related. Around 1,500 businesses were damaged, causing estimated losses in the hundreds of millions of euros. The violence took place during nationwide protests against the high cost of living, with an estimated 550,000 to 800,000 participants according to the CGT union.
Analyst Mujtaba Rahman said most demonstrations were peaceful, with violence coming from a fringe of the ultra-left. US President Donald Trump blamed immigration for unrest, urging tighter migration rules.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
