Buildings torched and over 1,000 detained after half a million protesters sweep France

On Saturday, mass protests involving approximately half a million people occurred across major French cities, leading to widespread unrest. The demonstrations, which were initially organized to address rising living costs and declining public services, escalated into significant rioting in several locations, marking some of the most intense violence the country has experienced in decades.

Authorities reported that over 1,000 individuals were detained as police struggled to contain the disorder. The unrest resulted in the destruction of government property, including the torching of the historic town hall in the central city of Limoges. While the majority of the hundreds of thousands of participants engaged in peaceful street marches, the situation spiraled out of control in various urban centers.