More than 1,200 people were arrested across France on Saturday after protests supporting high school students escalated into clashes with police. Police deployed teargas in Paris and other cities as demonstrations spiralled into violence, with buildings set ablaze and shops looted.
The Guardian reports that while hundreds of thousands protested peacefully in street marches across scores of cities, violent fringe groups targeted public buildings, luxury boutiques and supermarkets. Police vehicles and officers came under attack during the disorder.
In Limoges, a town hall was reported as "largely lost" to fire. Officials blamed the violence on "ultra-left" groups.
The demonstrations drew support beyond high school students. Protesters also expressed anger about high prices and deterioration of France's social welfare system. The scale of participation across multiple French cities suggests the unrest tapped into broader economic frustrations alongside the initial student mobilisation.
The source does not specify the trigger for Saturday's student protests, the total number of people who demonstrated peacefully, or provide statements from protest organisers or government officials beyond the Limoges officials' attribution of violence to ultra-left actors.