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Tourism Office in Lyon Burned as Protests Roil France
Confirmed
In Short: In a major day of protests, the tourism office in Lyon was set on fire and more than 160 protesters were arrested across France.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence, stating there is 'no place for violence' and that vandals and looters would be 'prosecuted and punished'.
According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, about 550,000 people have participated in the protests, with 1,200 arrests made nationwide.
The protests, which began in Paris' working-class northern suburbs, have expanded to include broader issues of inequality, public spending, and living standards.
In Paris alone, 110,000 people attended the march, while protests also took place in other major cities like Lyon, Lille, and Marseille.
In Lyon, a tourist office was set on fire, and in Lille, the town hall was damaged during the demonstrations.
Violence escalated in Paris, where cars were set on fire, shops were looted, and tear gas was used by police to disperse protesters.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported that the number of injured police officers had more than doubled, from 60 to over 120.
The protests have drawn criticism from Iran, which accused France of 'violent treatment' and 'extensive and flagrant human rights violations'.
Teachers and parents joined students in the protests, with up to 500 schools expected to be partially or totally closed on Monday due to recent clashes.
Protesters expressed frustration over teacher shortages, shabby facilities, and the high cost of living, with one student saying, 'We just want to study, we just want a future.'
What this adds
The protests in France began last month at high schools in Paris' working-class northern suburbs, evolving into a broader movement.
The protests have seen a growing number of violent incidents, including assaults on officers, looting, and damage to public buildings.
The French government faces increasing pressure to address the grievances of young people, as the protests continue to escalate.
Background
In a major day of protests across France, the tourism office in Lyon was set on fire as more than 160 protesters were arrested.
Protests in France have escalated, with students and various groups joining forces to demonstrate against rising living costs and education issues.
What's confirmed
- The protests in France began last month at high schools in Paris' working-class northern suburbs, where anger over teacher shortages and shabby facilities evolved into a broader movement focused on inequality, public spending and living standards.
What's still developing
- Dana, 24, says there are not enough resources to help students in France BBC readers have been getting in touch with their experiences of today's protests in France.
- Melanie Smith : "Just arrived in Pau for European rugby match tomorrow and walked straight into demo on way to our hotel. Tear gas thrown so we had to find an alternative route and arrived just as the hotel was locking up on the advice of the police. We've heard some loud explosions and seen more tear gas from our window. It's gone quiet now and I've seen some police vehicles."
- Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to battle a blaze at Limoges City Hall after a reported break-in and arson inside the 19th-century building during protests there.
- Eric Witton : "I drove from Frejus to Toulon this morning and there was no sign of any of the advertised blockades at the tolls. However, I stopped for fuel at three different service areas and at all three, access to the pumps was blocked by abandoned trucks."
- Here are a few of the comments we've received so far: Judith Badger : "We are in Marseilles on holiday. We have seen many protesters and evidence of people looting. Small fires are burning as protesters occupy the old port area of the city. Pleasure boats are being diverted away from the old port area."
- "We just want to study, we just want a future," one student taking part in the protest in the capital told BBC News, while another said they were "just trying to make things change".
- "The conditions aren't good. And the cost of living is very high. We've really got to be careful with spending so that we can live decently. We're also here to protest for that," he said.
- She added that high school students are getting hurt across the country as they protest for more teachers and "more decent" conditions in which to learn.
- Whole streets in Paris "have been devastated," the city's mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, said as groups of masked young men torched parked cars and ransacked many shops.
- Police clashes with protesters; hundreds arrested; a 15-year-old student lost a hand. 277 outlets told this the same way.
- Some 400 people had been arrested by Saturday evening as Yellow Vest activists joined student demonstrators for the first time, including in Paris, Marseille, Rennes and Toulouse, according to the interior ministry.
- However, a nationwide assessment is due to come later, according to France minister of home affairs, Laurent Nunez.