Protests over the cost of living spread across France, with looting and arson adding to political tensions and prompting a response from US Vice President JD Vance.
Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader who is leading in polls ahead of the 2027 presidential election, accused left-wing firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon of fuelling the violence.
As demonstrations escalated, Mélenchon and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu exchanged accusations on X. Shops were looted in major cities including Paris and Bordeaux, while a fire broke out at the historic town hall in Limoges, central France.
In a post on Saturday, Le Pen said legitimate social grievances had been hijacked by the far left. She accused lawmakers from Mélenchon’s movement of legitimising violence and portraying public order as oppression, arguing that their rhetoric risked pushing the country into chaos.
Mélenchon, meanwhile, blamed police provocation for some of the unrest. He said those supporting the movement should not take part in looting or vandalism.
President Emmanuel Macron also weighed in, calling for those responsible for looting and vandalism to be prosecuted and punished. He expressed support for the police.
More than half a million take to the streets
More than 500,000 people took part in demonstrations across France on Saturday. What began as peaceful marches over poor conditions in schools and hospitals soon escalated into violence in several locations.
Lecornu said 1,200 people had been arrested during the day.
The authorities’ handling of the unrest also came under scrutiny. Benoît Payan, the mayor of Marseille, requested a meeting with the prime minister and questioned why clashes were taking place between protesters and police while looters appeared able to break into shops with little interference.
Vance links unrest to immigration
The fire at Limoges town hall drew a response from US Vice President JD Vance, who linked the incident to immigration and a lack of integration.
In a post on X, Vance argued that Western liberals had brought people from developing countries into France and elsewhere in the name of diversity and compassion. He said he hoped France would halt what he described as a misguided course before more of its landmarks were damaged by fire.
Cost-of-living protests turn violent in Italy
Saturday also saw demonstrations across other parts of Europe. In Italy, protests over the cost of living descended into clashes in Turin and Bologna.
In Milan, a loosely organised demonstration drew a mixed crowd before groups of mostly young, masked rioters clashed with police around Piazza Duomo, the central square of Italy’s financial capital. Protesters threw paving stones and firecrackers, while shops were looted.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence on Saturday, drawing a distinction between the right to demonstrate and acts of destruction.
“Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities on fire is not,” she said.
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