France: 550,000 protesters and more than 400 arrests as looting hits several cities

Protests against the cost of living across France on Saturday, October 17, drew 550,000 people according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, including 110,000 in Paris, while organizers put the turnout at 800,000. More than 400 people were arrested and 60 police officers and gendarmes were injured, including two taken unconscious to hospital. Shops were looted, including luxury boutiques in Lyon and Paris and perfume and sports stores in Marseille; authorities also reported about 40 arrests in Nice. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the violence as “extremely intense” and accused far-left groups of organizing it, while investigations seek to identify those responsible for the thefts.