Violent Clashes and Arrests Rock France Amid Nationwide Protests

Violent clashes erupted across major French cities on Saturday as mass protests against the government's economic policies turned into running street battles after nightfall. According to the French Ministry of Interior, approximately 410,000 people participated in demonstrations nationwide, while trade unions claimed the turnout was twice as high.

In Nice, far-right activists and football supporters linked to ultra-groups attacked demonstrators affiliated with the Antifa movement, leaving several far-left militants beaten up. French authorities reported that 63 people were arrested in Nice alone due to riots, brawls, and clashes with law enforcement officers.

The central protest in southeastern Paris drew at least 110,000 people demonstrating against the rising cost of living and widening social disparities. Following the conclusion of the main rally, police forces clashed with roughly 500 masked youths, deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.

In Marseille, rioters set fire to trash bins to block roads and hurled stones and bottles at security forces. Police reported the looting of several stores, including two jewelry shops. Clashes also broke out in Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Rennes, Nantes, and Toulouse.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez blamed far-left activists and criminal gangs for attempting to incite violence, noting that dangerous groups splintered from the main demonstrations to confront police. He confirmed that far-right groups also sought to clash with left-wing factions in Nice and Montpellier. Meanwhile, radical left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon warned that protests would continue weekly unless President Emmanuel Macron addressed the social crisis.