Why France is protesting: Louis Vuitton, Hermès stores looted as unrest over living costs turns violent

Protests over rising living costs, public services and inequality turned violent across France, with looters targeting luxury retailers, demonstrators setting fires and clashes erupting between protesters and police in several cities. Around 550,000 people participated in demonstrations nationwide, including an estimated 110,000 in Paris, according to figures cited in reports. What began as student-led protests over education and working conditions broadened into a movement involving teachers, trade unions, workers, farmers, retirees and supporters of the Yellow Vest movement. Luxury stores targeted as unrest spreads In Bordeaux, looters smashed the storefronts of high-end retailers, including Apple, Louis Vuitton and Hermès. In Paris, masked demonstrators vandalised shops and restaurants, while barricades and vehicles were set ablaze as clashes with security forces intensified. The unrest also affected Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Rouen, Nantes and Toulouse, where incidents of arson, vandalism and attacks on public property were reported. In Lyon, the city's tourism centre was reportedly set on fire. In Marseille, demonstrators allegedly broke into municipal buildings. French broadcaster BFMTV reported that vandals inside the city's municipal headquarters toppled a bust of Marianne, France's national symbol, smashed television sets and spray-painted an anarchist symbol on a wall. Some protesters also threatened to storm the Élysée Palace, the official residence of President Emmanuel Macron, amid mounting anger against the government. Masked demonstrators, some wearing hoods and goggles to protect themselves from tear gas, confronted riot police. Officers deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent crowds. Around 400 arrested as government blames militants French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said around 400 people had been arrested nationwide, including 110 in Paris. He said some demonstrators had clearly intended to target public buildings and blamed much of the destruction on militants associated with the far left. Nuñez maintained that most demonstrations remained peaceful, but said violent groups operating on their fringes had turned some rallies into scenes of destruction. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also accused far-left organisations of encouraging violence, while saying opportunistic groups had exploited the student unrest to loot shops and damage property. "Peaceful protests have their full place in our Republic," Lecornu said. "Looting and attacks have none." Macron vows action against those responsible Macron condemned the violence and said those responsible for vandalism, attacks and looting would face legal consequences. "There is no place for violence in the Republic. Those who broke, attacked and looted will be brought to justice and punished," he wrote on X, expressing support for law enforcement agencies. The demonstrations were fuelled by concerns over living costs, education funding, teacher salaries, pension protections and reductions in public services. The movement initially gained momentum at high schools in working-class northern suburbs of Paris amid anger over staff shortages and inadequate facilities. Protests in Italy also turn violent The unrest in France coincided with demonstrations elsewhere in Europe. In Milan, Italy, a march against wars and rising living costs turned violent on Saturday as protesters clashed with police, looted stores and set property on fire in the city centre. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds, forcing the evacuation of Piazza del Duomo and a luxury shopping arcade. According to the Associated Press, the march began peacefully before masked protesters threw stones, paving blocks and other objects at riot police. They also set fire to barricades made from bar tables. Images from the aftermath showed a severely damaged Carabinieri police vehicle. At least two police officers were injured, while around 50 demonstrators, including many minors, were detained, Italian news agency LaPresse reported, according to AP. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence while defending the right to peaceful protest. "Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not," Meloni wrote on social media. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala acknowledged the grievances behind the march but said they did not justify the destruction. "The reasons for the protests were understandable. The violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable," Sala said.