Brief
Paris police confront second day of protests and looting after cost‑of‑living unrest
Police used tear gas and stun grenades as hundreds gathered in Place de la République, while authorities warned of further arrests.
By Felo News Desk · Published
French police engaged protesters and looters for a second consecutive day on Sunday in Paris, following nationwide cost‑of‑living demonstrations that left about 2,000 people arrested, France 24 reported.
What happened
AFP journalists observed several hundred people assembling in Place de la République after social‑media calls for a gathering that officials said had not been authorised. Police moved in when "faced with the initial signs of tension," deploying tear gas and stun grenades. Video footage showed a clothing store being looted and bicycles set alight nearby. Bottles and rocks were thrown at officers, who made a number of arrests. Of the 855 people detained in Paris on Saturday, 550 remained in custody on Sunday, according to the Legal Team Paris lawyers.
What the reports add
France 24 noted that the unrest spread to other cities, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Strasbourg, where looting was also reported. The Retail and Trade Federation estimated that around 1,500 businesses suffered damage, with losses running into hundreds of millions of dollars. The outlet also recorded one death during the main march in Paris, described by officials as health‑related.
What was said
President Emmanuel Macron, who vowed on Saturday to prosecute anyone involved in vandalism or looting, was scheduled to address the nation at 18:00 GMT on Sunday, France 24 said. Far‑right candidate Marine Le Pen criticised the government, saying it was "running on fumes, exhausted and disoriented" and blamed a "profound crisis of trust and authority" for the chaos. Far‑left leader Jean‑Luc Melenchon accused authorities of inflaming tensions. U.S. President Donald Trump, in a social‑media post, linked the unrest to immigration, claiming "France is burning!"
How it came about
The protests stem from a series of cost‑of‑living demonstrations that began in Paris’s northern suburbs over school conditions and expanded nationwide. Earlier coverage by Felo News documented related unrest, including tear‑gas use at a Paris high school on 8 October and a spike in arrests during cost‑of‑living protests on 17 October.
Key facts
- Police used tear gas and stun grenades on protesters in Place de la République (france24.com)
- 550 of the 855 people arrested in Paris on Saturday remained detained on Sunday (france24.com)
- Around 1,500 businesses were damaged with losses estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars (france24.com)
- President Macron planned a televised address at 18:00 GMT on Sunday (france24.com)
- Marine Le Pen accused the government of being "exhausted and disoriented" (france24.com)
Sources
- [1] france24.com — originally reported as “Paris police in new battles with protesters and looters”
