Emmanuel Macron has said there is “no room for violence” after hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest France’s cost of living crisis on Saturday.
asserted
thousands → say → Saturday
“Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished,” the French president said.
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president → break → halls
At least 1,200 people people were arrested including “extremely dangerous profiles”, prime minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Saturday according to Le Parisien.
uncertain
Lecornu → arrest → Parisien
The government says around 550,000 protesters took part across the country, with organisers estimating the number at 800,000.
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organisers → say → 800,000
The interior ministry saying there had been violent incidents involving hooded individuals in Paris, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers.
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ministry → say → Paris
A large police presence was visible in central Paris, especially near landmarks such as the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, with police firing tear gas at protesters who had climbed on monuments.
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who → fire → monuments
Protesters chanted about a repeat of the French Revolution, declaring: “It's the Revolution − we're taking the Bastille!" as they stormed the mayor’s offices in Marseille, according to Le Monde.
uncertain
they → chant → Monde
The protests began last month at high schools in Paris' poor northern suburbs, where anger over teacher absences and shabby facilities quickly morphed into a nationwide movement against inequality, weak public spending and falling standards.
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anger → begin → inequality
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.
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anger → begin → inequality
Police tactics have drawn criticism following injuries among demonstrators, including a teenager who lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade.
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who → draw → grenade
The police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence.
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watchdog → investigate → violence
Prime minister Sebastien Lecornu said more than 150 police officers had been injured in Saturday's protests, but did not say whether any protesters had been hurt.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez confirmed reports that one person had his hand torn off in clashes with police on Saturday.
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hand → say → Saturday
French media reported he tried to pick up a stun grenade.
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he → report → grenade
The UNSA police union posted a video on X showing crowds attacking police vans with clubs and bricks in multiple locations.
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crowds → post → locations
The union warned the government police forces were at breaking point.
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forces → warn → point
"Today again, in every corner of France, our colleagues are being used as punching bags.
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colleagues → use → bags
Pelted with stones, injured, trapped in real ambushes," the union said.
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union → pelt → ambushes
"Let everyone take responsibility: this cannot go on indefinitely.
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this → let → responsibility
The rope is stretched to its maximum."
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rope → stretch → maximum
French PM says government 'will not be intimidated'
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government → say → ?
French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government would not be "intimidated" by violence, and blamed the unrest on the "ultra-left" and criminals just months before a presidential election next year.
"
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government → say → election
To those who clearly want to use this violence as a 'warm-up' before the presidential election, I say clearly: We will not let ourselves be intimidated.
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ourselves → want → election
No one will impose their political agenda through violence," he wrote in a post on X.
Some 1,200 people had been arrested as part of the protests, Lecornu added while visiting the sites in the evening.
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Lecornu → impose → evening
Around 550,000 people had participated in the demonstrations across the country, interior minister Laurent Nunez said.
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Nunez → participate → country
The CGT union told Reuters it estimated the number of protesters at 800,000.
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it → tell → 800,000
Hundreds arrested as protesters clash with police across France over rising living costs
Clashes have broken out between police and protesters in cities across France as tens of thousands of people angered by rising costs and declining public services took to the streets – in some of the country's most violent protests of recent times.
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thousands → arrest → times
More than 270 people have been arrested across the country, while in Lyon, protesters torched the tourist office.
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protesters → arrest → office
In Marseille, the mayor said the town hall had been vandalised and that additional police were being sent to the city following talks with the government.
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police → say → government
The protesters said most people were protesting peacefully and put much of the violence down to troublemakers who had set out to cause damage and clash with the police.
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who → say → police
The Interior Ministry said, however, that violence was increasing, and that there had been "confrontations with law enforcement, looting or attempted looting of shops, attacks on and damage to public buildings."
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violence → say → buildings
It blamed the unrest on what it described as the "ultra-left".
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it → blame → left
Holly Evans brings the full report:
How mass protests unfolded across France on Saturday
Thousands of people spilled onto the streets early on Saturday morning to protest falling education standards and the cost of living in France.
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Thousands → bring → France
Large groups gathered in Paris and Marseille ahead of the official marches and more than 150 arrests were made before midday.
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arrests → gather → midday
Just a couple of hours later, huge demonstrations erupted across the whole country, with tens of thousands of people taking part.
Police have been out in full force, firing tear gas, using stun grenades, water cannons, and chasing protesters with batons.
French president Emmanuel Macron appealed for “calm” and called on demonstrators to show “respect for people and property”.
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Macron → erupt → people
Masked protesters stormed Marseille's town hall after ramming the doors with security barriers in the morning, and were followed by attacks on town halls in Grenoble and Lille.
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protesters → storm → Grenoble
Protesters later set fire to the tourism office in Lyon in eastern France and attempted to prevent firefighters from tackling the blaze.
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Protesters → set → blaze
Elsewhere across France, businesses and schools have been vandalised and looted.
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businesses → vandalise → France
Some 272 people had been arrested by mid-afternoon after violent incidents involving hooded individuals, including in Paris, Marseille in the south, Rennes in the northwest, Toulouse in the southwest and Angers in the west, the Interior Ministry said.
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Ministry → arrest → west
Protesters attempting to 'converge on seats of power', French ministry says
The French interior ministry has said that “several unsanctioned protest groups are attempting to converge on seats of power”.
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groups → attempt → power
With over 270 people arrested, the ministry said that police and law enforcement is continuing to stop protesters and to secure institutional sites.
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police → arrest → sites
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
