'Record' 855 people arrested over Paris protest violence

PARIS: Police in Paris said on Sunday (Oct 18) they had arrested a "record" 855 people over protest violence in the capital the day before, with the prosecutor's office saying more than 500 were being held in custody.

The capital, and many other French cities, on Saturday experienced clashes between police and protesters, multiple street blazes and widespread looting.

Paris's deputy mayor Lamia El Aaraje said the capital had been hit by "a level of violence that I believe we had never seen before".

The Paris prosecutor's office said that, of those in custody, 346 were adults and 171 were minors, for a total of 517. It added that the numbers were provisional and could change.

"Arrests took place throughout the night and up to 6am this morning," the office said.

Most of the arrests were for receiving stolen goods, association with intent to commit violence, and vandalism, it said.

France woke up Sunday to devastated streets after clashes between police and protesters, mass looting and fires erupted nationwide as marches against rising costs of living degenerated into "extreme" violence.

The violence began on the sidelines of marches in the capital and other cities over the cost of living that the interior ministry said were attended by 550,000 people.

The CGT union, which took part, said 800,000 people participated.

Police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters who threw projectiles and aimed fireworks.

A 17-year-old boy had his right hand blown off by a crowd-control grenade in the southern city of Saint-Etienne.

The violence has drawn global headlines - in the United States, Vice President JD Vance blamed immigration for the unrest.

"Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion. They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility," he said on X.

President Macron said that "those who carried out vandalism, attacked administrative offices or businesses, or carried out looting - even in our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished".