France Protests Live Updates: Apple, Louis Vuitton and Hermès Stores Looted, Cars Torched and Public Buildings Vandalised as 400 People Are Arrested Nationwide – Government Blames Far-Left Groups

France Protest Looting: Anger over rising prices, pressure on household budgets and concerns about public services spilt onto the streets of France on Saturday, October 17, as demonstrations turned violent in several major cities.

What began with student protests and calls for better education and working conditions expanded into a nationwide show of public discontent, with masked groups looting shops, setting vehicles on fire and damaging government buildings.

The French Interior Ministry estimated that 550,000 people joined demonstrations across the country, including around 110,000 in Paris. The unrest also prompted mass arrests and a warning from President Emmanuel Macron that those responsible for violence would face legal consequences. 

You Might Be Interested In

France Protest Looting: Luxury Brands and Local Businesses Caught in the Unrest

The violence hit commercial areas in several French cities, with high-end retailers among the businesses targeted. In Bordeaux, looters smashed the storefronts of luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton and Hermès. An Apple store in Lille was also reportedly ransacked as groups took advantage of the disorder to break into shops.

Paris witnessed vandalism, looting and fires as masked demonstrators moved through parts of the city. Some groups targeted restaurants and other businesses, while burning barricades and clashes with riot police added to the disruption. Police used tear gas and water cannons against groups that threw fireworks and other projectiles.

The unrest spread beyond the capital to Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Rouen, Nantes, Toulouse and other cities. The incidents highlighted how demonstrations over economic pressures and public services had become a wider law-and-order challenge for French authorities. 

France Paris Protest Live Updates: Fires and Attacks Damage Public Buildings

Public institutions also came under attack during the demonstrations. In Lyon, the city’s tourism office was set ablaze, while protesters reportedly entered municipal buildings in Marseille and Lille.

According to French broadcaster BFMTV, people who entered Marseille’s municipal headquarters toppled a bust of Marianne, France’s national symbol, smashed television sets and spray-painted an anarchist symbol on a wall.