550,000 join protests across France, 400 held

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Saturday that about 550,000 people took part in the protests across France, reported Xinhua.

Speaking on French media BFMTV, Nunez condemned the violence that occurred during the gatherings, noting that there have been approximately 400 arrests, and 60 members of the internal security forces were injured on Saturday.

According to French media reports, the demonstrations brought together farmers, climate activists, trade unions and students, expressing demands on fuel prices, the cost of living, education and public services.

Nunez reported numerous attacks on public buildings, police stations, and businesses during the demonstrations, referring to intrusions or attempted intrusions at city halls in Marseille, Lille, Calais and Angers, as well as actions at prefectures, notably in Bordeaux.

He also said that opportunistic offenders took advantage of the demonstrations to loot shops in several cities.

The protests disrupted public transport. The Paris public transport operator RATP announced on its website that the services on more than 10 metro lines in Paris had been temporarily suspended and several stations were closed.

The Louvre Museum announced a limit on the number of visitors on Saturday, while the Orangerie Museum admitted only visitors with reservations.

Noting that there is no place for violence, French President Emmanuel Macron said on social media platform X that "those who have engaged in destruction, attacked government offices and businesses, and even looted our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished."

Macron also expressed his support to the law enforcement officers, saying that "we will stand united against those who sow chaos, whose only goal is to tear down our institutions and who prevent others from peacefully expressing their grievances."