Police clashed with protesters in central Paris on Sunday, deploying tear gas and stun grenades as fresh looting was reported in the French capital and the city of Lyon, a day after nationwide demonstrations descended into widespread disorder.
Several hundred people gathered at Place de la République following calls on social media, according to AFP journalists at the scene.
Television footage showed a clothing shop being looted in the neighbourhood, while bicycles were set alight nearby. A separate shop was also reportedly looted in Lyon.
The latest unrest came after Saturday’s demonstrations, when 855 people were arrested in Paris amid clashes between police and masked demonstrators, with several buildings and shops looted or set on fire.
Tear gas and arrests at Place de la République
The Paris police prefecture said Sunday’s gathering had not been authorised and that officers had carried out checks and established a security presence to allow them to intervene quickly if necessary.
“Faced with the initial signs of tension,” police moved in to disperse the crowd and make arrests, the prefecture said.
Officers initially fired tear gas to break up the gathering, television footage showed. Protesters later returned to the square, where AFP journalists reported that bottles and rocks were thrown at security forces.
Police responded with tear gas and stun grenades before charging the crowd in an effort to disperse it. Several arrests followed.
Place de la République, a regular venue for demonstrations in the French capital, had already witnessed extensive clashes and looting on Saturday.
Cost-of-living anger fuels demonstrations
Banners displayed around the statue at the centre of the square voiced protesters’ grievances over the cost of living. Many demonstrators wore black, and some covered their faces.
The renewed clashes came amid a wave of nationwide rallies that saw demonstrations give way to violence and looting in several locations.
Sunday’s incidents in Paris and Lyon indicated that tensions had continued beyond Saturday’s unrest, as police moved to disperse gatherings and prevent further disorder.
