▲ Amid clashes between protesters and police in Paris, France, young people smash store windows.
Protests in France are spiraling out of control.
What initially began as high school student demonstrations demanding improvements to poor educational conditions has morphed into anti-government protests protesting economic issues such as high inflation, and further escalated into riots involving the destruction and burning of public offices and stores.
The police response to the large-scale unrest that simultaneously swept through major cities nationwide has also come under fire.
According to foreign media reports on the 18th, local time, the massive protests sweeping across France are turning into riots, marked by looting and arson.
According to the French Ministry of the Interior, some 550,000 people took to the streets on the 17th alone, participating in about 110 protests.
The General Confederation of Labour in France estimated the number of protesters at 800,000.
In the capital city of Paris, stores and banks became targets of looting.
Twelve stores near Place de la République in downtown Paris were looted, and tourists startled by the tear gas-filled streets were seen scrambling away.
In Bordeaux, a group broke into a Louis Vuitton store and stole bags before fleeing, while in Marseille, masked individuals broke into a government office and toppled a bust of Marianne, the symbol of the republic.
In Limoges, a city in central France, a 143-year-old city hall building was engulfed in flames.
About 3,000 protesters poured into the streets, hijacked vehicles, and set fire to the city hall building while staff members were still inside.
The protesters also hurled objects at firefighters who were deployed to put out the blaze.
Some 1,500 stores suffered damage on the 17th alone, and protesters showed aggressive behavior on the 18th as well, setting barricades on fire.
The unrest, which is spreading rapidly like wildfire under the banner of rallies and protests, has put the police to the test.
Police are caught in a classic dilemma: taking a hardline approach draws criticism for infringing on fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, while an under-reaction leads to the collapse of the rule of law and increases social costs.
In particular, using physical force against underage student protesters, who make up a significant portion of the demonstrators, is bound to draw legal and ethical criticism.
Earlier in the week, during police suppression, a 14-year-old boy suffered a fractured jaw, followed by an incident in northwestern Alençon where a police officer was captured on camera putting a girl in a headlock.
Headlock maneuvers are legally prohibited in France.
Emotions frequently flare up unexpectedly in standoff situations, and the corresponding responses have often become targets of condemnation for fueling violent clashes.
Agence France-Presse reported that as Paris police hurled tear gas and flashbangs at protesters gathered in a square, the protesters fought back by throwing bottles and stones.
The BBC reported that police were seen beating protesters with batons in multiple locations, and water cannons were deployed in some areas.
However, the use of tear gas and water cannons by police during the process of quelling protests has drawn criticism.
Jean-Marie Godard, an expert on French security issues, pointed out to the Associated Press, "Police who are ill-equipped and untrained are being deployed to violent protest scenes, and they are highly likely to be quickly shaken by anger and fear," adding, "Ultimately, this leads to direct physical clashes, inevitably resulting in injuries on both sides."
According to the French Ministry of the Interior, tear gas and water cannons, as well as grenades and smoke bombs, were used during the protest suppression.
On the other hand, the French Interior Ministry emphasized that the casualties suffered by police forces were also severe, with about 1,000 police officers injured, 7 of them seriously.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez revealed that one police officer died during the protest suppression and criticized such violence, stating that it "cannot be justified for any reason."
French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "Those who attacked police headquarters and stores, and looted city hall, will be prosecuted and punished."
President Macron expressed "anger and shame" over the looting and violence, and explained that he has ordered an investigation to verify whether there were any problems with the police preparedness.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap)
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