France experienced a weekend of shocks as weeks-long high school student protests for better study environments were hijacked by violent looters across major cities, angered by rising fuel prices and an ongoing cost of living crisis.
While the rallies saw hundreds of thousands protest peacefully, clashes over the weekend led to chaotic scenes: hundreds of shops were pillaged, the historic city hall of Limoges was burned down and multiple public buildings across cities like Paris, Marseilles and Bordeaux were attacked.
In his televised speech to the French people on Sunday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a clear distinction between those who destroyed properties and the peaceful protesters.