As massive protests swept through cities across France over the weekend, degenerating into riots in many places, far-right politician Marine Le Pen has attempted to profit from the crisis ahead of the presidential election in April 2027. On Sunday, the leader of the National Rally party, or RN by its French initials, railed against President Emmanuel Macron’s handling of the crisis in a video statement, saying the outgoing centre-right leader no longer has any “credibility or authority” and that the country’s people were caught between his austerity “hammering” them on the one hand and “insurrectionary activists” on the left on the other. School protests in France erupted on September 21 in a poor borough of Paris as pupils demonstrated against dilapidated infrastructure, teacher shortages and tight class schedules.
The demonstrations quickly spread across the country and coincided with a nationwide public sector strike against the government’s plans to cut public spending. Le Pen blamed the political left and “decades of immigration” to France for the looting and destruction that trailed the demonstrations, and presented her party as capable of restoring order — without offering any firm evidence to back up assertions that the rioting was led by immigrants. The politician is already far ahead in recent polls, and some say she is likely to be the next leader.
Here’s what we know: Scenes of burned cars, vandalised and looted shops and defaced public buildings emerged from across France. Some 550,000 people demonstrated on Saturday, according to the Ministry of the Interior, although protest organisers put the figure at 800,000. Protesters included students, union groups and supporters of the “yellow vests” movement, which protested against inflation back in 2018, at the start of Macron’s presidency.
Although most marched peacefully, masked groups attacked city halls in several cities on Saturday, including the 19th-century City Hall in the city of Limoges, which was badly damaged. In Lyon, a tourist office was set ablaze. In Marseille, hooded individuals attacked a police station.
The city has since banned protests. Looters also targeted hundreds of shops in several locations. In Paris, storefronts were shattered and broken glass littered the Place de la Republique.
The Marianne statue, an important symbol of France, was partially dismantled. Paris police said one person died of a heart attack, but did not provide more details. Protesters and rights groups have accused police of using disproportionate force throughout the protests.
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