▲ Protests against the high cost of living at Place de la République in Paris
Amid four weeks of angry protests by high school students demanding improvements to poor educational environments, another large-scale demonstration erupted in France on the 17th (local time).
This time, workers protesting sky-rocketing living costs and surging fuel prices, along with citizens sympathetic to the "Yellow Vest" movement, poured into the streets in large numbers.
The "Yellow Vests" symbolize the massive anti-government protests that shook France for months, sparked in 2018 by the government's fuel tax hike and inequality.
With students who have occupied the streets instead of schools for the past several weeks joining in, violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement erupted repeatedly in major cities, including the capital Paris.
According to agencies like AFP, thousands of protesters gathered to march in Paris, blocking major roads and forcing the closure of several downtown subway stations, while heavy riot police deployments around public squares heightened tensions.
At Place de la République in northeastern central Paris, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters wearing hoods and masks who threw fireworks at officers.
In western Paris, about 20 protesters were arrested after attacking two media outlets, including the conservative broadcaster CNews.
Police stated that they detained approximately 100 people in Paris alone on that day.
In Marseille, the country's second-largest southern port city, downtown shops and police stations were damaged by protesters, and the city hall building was temporarily breached.
People who broke into the city hall sprayed the anarchism symbol "A" on the walls and chanted, "We are going to take the Bastille," comparing their action to the storming of the Bastille prison, a symbol of royal oppression during the French Revolution in 1789.
In downtown Lyon, France's third-largest city, a tourist information center was gutted by fire caused by fireworks thrown by masked protesters.
While more than 600 demonstrations were planned across France for the day, 140 protests and collective actions outside Paris were counted by noon.
The French Interior Ministry announced that the number of participants exceeded 30,000.
It added that attempted looting, attacks on police officers, arson of street facilities, and attacks targeting government agencies and media outlets were also reported in other major cities such as Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Angers.
Ahead of the large-scale demonstrations, French President Emmanuel Macron urged citizens to maintain calm on the 16th.
Macron emphasized, "The right to protest and express one's views is guaranteed by the Constitution, but this right comes with the obligation to respect others."
Meanwhile, some former key figures of the "Yellow Vest" movement joined the protests, and the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) expressed its support.
Left-wing parties, including La France Insoumise (LFI) led by presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, also voiced support for the protests.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.