Louvre blocked as France grapples with unrest

Paris — On Monday, protesters blocked the entrance to the Louvre, as France grappled with public discontent that had sparked mass cost-of-living demonstrations over the weekend. These demonstrations turned into some of the worst street violence in recent years, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to order a security review. The country's interior minister acknowledged that police had lost control during the unrest.

Undeterred, the Yellow Vests movement, which organized the protests, called for additional demonstrations on Saturday. Other countries, including Italy, Spain, and Portugal, where anger over rising prices also fueled protests, were closely monitoring the situation. Following smaller clashes in Milan and ongoing housing cost protests in Spanish cities, some half a million people participated in nationwide protests against the escalating cost of living.

These protests, part of a four-week-long movement that initially involved high school students advocating for improved school conditions, evolved into violent confrontations in certain areas.