French officials give conflicting provisional figures after protest violence

France’s prime minister said 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers injured during protests on Saturday, a lower provisional tally than the 1,800 arrests and more than 500 injured emergency and security workers reported by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez on Sunday. [1] [2]

The protests against the rising cost of living drew between 550,000 people, according to the interior ministry, and 800,000, according to the CGT union. Clashes, looting and fires were reported in cities across the country. [1]

Nuñez said on X that the figures he gave were provisional and that the damage was considerable. Le Monde reported his statement on Sunday morning. [2] The prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, gave the lower figures late on Saturday; AFP also reported the same tally. [1]

The violence included the destruction of much of Limoges town hall in a fire and the looting of shops in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and other cities. In Paris, police reported 855 arrests by 8 a.m. on Sunday. [2]

The conflicting provisional national figures leave the scale of arrests and injuries unclear. Le Monde reported that 1,500 businesses had been affected by looting. [2]