The largely peaceful demonstrations taking place across France today attracted nearly 800,000 protesters. But now it is evening, and the scene in various city centres looks very different. These are no longer student demonstrations; they are masked men intent on looting shops and attacking the police. Over 500 have attacked the police in Paris, reports bfmTV. Judging by the images, many are from immigrant backgrounds.
It’s pouring with rain in Paris, and that might perhaps calm things down this evening.
In Marseille, too, the atmosphere is tense between violent troublemakers and the police:
In Paris, the police have deployed tear gas and water cannons.
Firefighters rescued a man with a hand injury:
All the vandalism and looting has angered many French people. In several towns, people have gathered to protect shops and buildings.
In Nice, a group demonstrated under the slogan ‘Touche pas à ma ville’, ‘don’t touch my city’.
The Palestinian flag was present at the demonstrations against the authorities:
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said this evening that the police are ‘still dispersing the crowd in Paris.’
