French authorities announced on Monday the arrest of 351 people in connection with violence and looting that took place in the capital Paris on Sunday, as part of ongoing protests against the rising cost of living. Protests initiated by "Yellow Vest" demonstrators over the high cost of living continued overnight in various areas of Paris over the weekend.
The Paris Police Prefecture stated in a press release that groups of youths attempted to loot and damage shops in the capital on Sunday. It added that police arrested 351 people in connection with these incidents, emphasizing the need to deal firmly with such behavior, which it described as "unacceptable."
In the city of Marseille, the police prefecture of the "Bouches-du-Rhône" department announced a ban on all demonstrations across the city on Monday, between 12:00 and 20:00 local time (UTC+2). Meanwhile, Alain de Crisenoy, head of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry network, told RTL radio that 1,500 shops were damaged by violence over the weekend.
He noted that the number of damaged shops in some cities had not yet been included in the total, estimating that the overall figure would exceed 2,000 shops. He added that violence continued overnight in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Nantes, estimating the cost to shops at hundreds of millions of euros.
The "Yellow Vest" movement has received support from students, and organized protests on Saturday across France against the high cost of living and rising fuel prices. Authorities arrested more than 2,400 people during Saturday's protests across the country, while more than 600 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were injured.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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