France reports more than 1,800 arrests after Yellow Vest protests marred by violence

Some 1,800 people have been arrested during and after nationwide cost-of-living protests involving Yellow Vest groups in France, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Sunday, following clashes, arson and widespread looting.

More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, Nunez said on US social media company X.

He said the injury toll remained provisional and investigations were underway to identify those responsible, while several hundred businesses sustained considerable material damage.

Saturday’s demonstrations drew 550,000 people nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry. Organizers put the turnout at around 800,000.

The mobilization brought together Yellow Vest collectives, trade unions, students and farmers. While the main Paris march passed without any major incidents, violence erupted on the sidelines of demonstrations in several cities.

A demonstrator died after collapsing on Boulevard Magenta in Paris, with police reporting that the individual had suffered cardiorespiratory arrest. Le Parisien also reported that a 17-year-old lost a hand when struck by a police grenade in Saint-Etienne.

Paris police announced 855 arrests, while prosecutors separately reported 720 arrests, including 517 people held in custody, adding that the figures had yet to be finalized.

In Limoges, a fire devastated the historic city hall. Shops were also looted and buildings damaged in cities including Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will chair an interministerial crisis meeting at 7 pm on Sunday to address the economic impact, insurance and judicial follow-up. He will also meet with the mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon, who demanded explanations over police resources and the handling of the unrest.

National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet is considering establishing a parliamentary commission of inquiry and will meet with parliamentary group leaders Tuesday, BFMTV reported.

Lecornu blamed the “ultra-left” for the violence, while opposition figures criticized policing tactics. Green politician Marine Tondelier called for Nunez’s resignation.

Carrefour chief executive Alexandre Bompard said more than 50 stores had been affected, estimating damage at several million euros.