France ravaged by riots and looting as President Macron calls for calm and order

President Emmanuel Macron has called for 'calm and order' to be maintained in France after large-scale protests across the country turned into riots and looting. He made the appeal as disorder continued in parts of the capital Paris on Sunday, following Saturday's mass demonstrations.

In an address to the nation from the Elysee Palace, Macron warned protesters not to make the situation worse. 'We all feel anger and shame,' he said. He insisted that a distinction must be drawn between the protesters' 'legitimate demands' and 'those who destroyed, vandalised and looted'.

Around 550,000 people took to the streets on Saturday to protest against rising fuel prices, the growing cost of living and the deteriorating quality of public services, including schools. Most of the protests were peaceful, but as the day wore on they turned violent in several cities.

During the demonstrations, groups of rioters dressed in black with their faces covered by masks came onto the streets in Paris, Marseille and other cities. Some of them set fire to cars and buildings. According to France's interior ministry, police arrested about 2,400 people in connection with the events.

On Sunday, looting and clashes with police continued in parts of Paris and, to a lesser extent, in Lyon. According to the AFP news agency, tear gas and stun grenades were fired at hundreds of people in Paris, while protesters threw bottles and stones at police. Water cannon were used to disperse demonstrators, and riot police were seen beating people with batons in several places.

Cities across the country have had to deal with the aftermath of the chaos, in what has become one of the worst episodes of rioting in modern French history. The interior ministry said about 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven of them seriously.

In the city of Limoges, a fire set by rioters on Saturday gutted the interior of the historic 19th-century city hall. As the fire spread, the building's clock tower and roof collapsed. Standing near the destroyed building, a woman named Anais said: 'It is extremely painful. I think damaging a historic building just out of anger at the government is selfish. Everyone loses from this.' Another man, Gerard, said: 'It is terrible and unbelievable. We are very sad. I think it will take a long time to restore things to how they were.'

Early on Sunday, shopkeepers in Paris could be seen clearing away large shards of broken glass, while cleaning workers removed rubbish and debris from several main roads. There was widespread looting in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other towns and areas across the country.

Macron said there was no justification for the 'uncontrolled' violence seen in the protests and that those involved would face trial. He said local state representatives and mayors would draw up plans to protect shops and public buildings, and he promised 'full transparency' over the role of the police in handling the protests.

The unrest grew out of student protests that began last month, and on Saturday they were joined by trade union members and other anti-government groups. Behind the student protests are also complaints about years of underinvestment in education.

The reactions of political leaders have exposed France's deep political divisions. The country is preparing for elections next April, in which the far right could go head to head with the far left.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that demonstrating is a fundamental right. But he claimed that 'several thousand far-left individuals' had carried out 'disgraceful acts' aimed at targeting public buildings and clashing with police, and that they were later joined by criminals who looted and vandalised countless businesses in cities across France.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the far-left party La France Insoumise, fiercely criticised Nunez and senior police officials on social media. Attacking their handling of the protests, he said they had shown 'complete incompetence' and branded them 'experts in planned chaos'. On the other side, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, condemned the 'use' of people's anger by political forces that encourage violence.

The question now is how the government will handle the protests if they flare up again in the coming days. Macron has appealed for calm, but there has still been no specific announcement on the protesters' core demands—fuel prices, the cost of living and the quality of public services.