Nearly 2,400 arrested, 1,000 police wounded in France unrest: ministry

Massive nationwide protests against the high cost of living turned violent on Saturday, leading to widespread clashes, looting, and fires. According to Gulf News, the interior ministry reported 2,397 arrests and noted that 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of whom were badly wounded. SABC News reported that one demonstrator died from a cardiac arrest in Paris during the demonstrations and stated that more than 2,000 people were arrested and over 600 officers were injured.

SABC News also noted that more than half a million people joined marches across numerous cities on Saturday.

President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Sunday, promising full transparency and stating that those who looted must reimburse and those who destroyed must pay. He accused far-left splinter groups and delinquents of causing the violence. While many protests were peaceful, footage showed public buildings on fire and stores being looted. In Marseille, a Rolex store was looted, and SABC News reported attempts by groups to break into shops in the afternoon.

Following the weekend of unrest, calls for Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to resign have emerged from both the left and the far right, as the government faces accusations of mismanaging and underestimating the protests. Serge Papin, France’s minister for small business, is scheduled to meet with company representatives to assess damage and discuss assistance for affected businesses. On Sunday, fresh clashes and the use of tear gas occurred in Paris at Place de la Republique.

Brief written by urgent.news from Gulf News, Politico EU, SABC News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.