PARIS (Voice of Russia): Violent protests against inflation continued in France for a second day, as protesters looted shops while police arrested 2,000 people in an operation.
According to a foreign news agency report, authorities in Paris were clearing burned vehicles, broken shop windows and charred debris from the previous day’s protests when demonstrations began again and a round of political blame-trading also started.
Reports said that after calls for a gathering on social media, hundreds of protesters assembled at Republic Square in the capital without government permission, while TV footage showed looting at a clothing shop and bicycles set on fire nearby.
According to the Paris Police Prefecture, security forces moved into action as soon as concerns of tension surfaced and fired tear gas and stun grenades at the hundreds gathered in the square, while protesters threw bottles and stones at police, after which police made several arrests.
Legal Team Paris said that of the 855 people arrested in Paris in connection with Saturday’s protests, around 550 remain in custody, while police stations are facing severe difficulty in coping with the situation.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a strong statement, warned protesters that anyone involved in vandalism and looting would be brought before the law.
Meanwhile, opposition and National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen, Macron’s rival in the presidential election, said the grim situation shows that Macron’s administration is running on flames, is worried and has lost its direction.
She said, “We are going through a deep crisis of confidence and power, which is a threat to democracy.”
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