France protests in Paris & Lille see riot police clashes, fires burn, shops looted in day of unrest
Violent clashes erupted between police and demonstrators across France on Saturday, as hundreds of thousands of people protested rising costs and declining public services in some of the country’s most destructive unrest in years.
The Interior Ministry said at least 272 people had been arrested after violent incidents involving hooded individuals.
Belgium, Portugal and Italy also faced smaller-scale protests Saturday as living costs rise in Europe, while protesters in Albania again rallied against perceived government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government would not be “intimidated” by violence, and blamed the unrest on the “far-left” and criminals just months before a presidential election next year.
Sign up for our newsletter for the day’s top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events: https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/
