France Rocked by Violent Protests: 2,397 Arrested in a Day, Nearly 1,000 Police Injured
France has been rocked after protests that began over the rising cost of living and demands for school education reform turned violent. In Saturday's violent demonstrations across the country, 2,397 people were arrested, and 997 police and security officers were injured in attacks by protesters.
The movement, which began as ordinary non-violent protest, gradually turned into violent demonstrations and looting. The protests held across France on Saturday, October 18, gave rise to widespread unrest.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said there can be no justification for this violence. His comment came against the backdrop of unrest spreading across the country.
According to police information, 2,397 people have so far been arrested on allegations including violence during protests, attacks targeting law enforcement members, damage to government property and creating threats to public safety.
On Sunday the interior ministry said 2,397 people had been taken into custody and 997 police and security officers injured. Seven of the injured are in serious condition.
It is not only Saturday: over the past month, more than a thousand police members and officers have been injured in clashes with protesters in France. This continuing pattern of confrontation underlines the severity of the situation.
Around 1,500 shops were damaged in the protests. The head of an organisation representing the retail and trade sector said on Sunday that most of the affected shops had been looted.
Alexandre Bompard, president of France's Retail and Trade Federation, told LCI television that losses to business establishments could amount to 'several hundred million euros'. However, he said it was too early to give an exact figure.
The demands behind the protests include school education reform and protest against the rising cost of living. It was around these two issues that people took to the streets across the country.
But as the protests turned violent, damage to government property, looting of shops and attacks on police have become the centre of discussion. As a result, the picture of violence has overshadowed the original demands.
Security forces remain deployed to bring the situation under control, and arrest operations are continuing. The seven police members in serious condition are receiving treatment.
When this unrest in France will end remains uncertain. The situation in the coming days depends on whether the government takes any step to meet the demands and on which direction the protesters take the movement.
