Police forces across France detained a total of 1,314 individuals during Saturday's mass demonstrations against rising living costs, while 53 officers sustained injuries in the ensuing clashes. The arrests spanned several major cities, and the interior ministry confirmed the incidents on Sunday.
Key details include: the police responded to 75 separate fires set during the protests; 24 retail outlets were reported looted; two protesters suffered serious hand injuries – one in Toulouse and another in Clermont‑Ferrand; a 19‑year‑old in Poitiers was wounded in the left eye during a police charge; and the ministry announced that multiple investigations have been opened, though it did not disclose the total number of injured demonstrators.
**What sparked the weekend unrest?**
The demonstrations were driven by public frustration over the soaring cost of living, a sentiment that has intensified as France approaches its presidential election slated for April‑May 2025, where incumbent President [Emmanuel Macron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Macron) cannot seek a third term.
**How did authorities respond?**
According to a statement from the [France interior ministry](https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/), officers were deployed to contain the crowds, resulting in the extinguishing of 75 fires and the arrest of over a thousand participants. The ministry also reported that the situation calmed down later on Saturday night.
**Which officials commented on the injuries?**
Interior Minister [Laurent Nunez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Nunez) disclosed that two protesters suffered serious hand injuries – one in Toulouse, where a 20‑year‑old lost several fingers, and another in Clermont‑Ferrand, where the victim's hand was injured but no fingers were lost. A separate report from a regional daily indicated a 19‑year‑old in Poitiers was hit in the eye during a police deployment of stun grenades and tear‑gas canisters.
**What legal actions are being taken?**
The ministry's statement noted that “Several investigations have been opened,” signalling that authorities are pursuing legal scrutiny of the incidents, though specifics were not provided.
Overall, the weekend's disturbances underscore growing social tension in France ahead of the upcoming presidential election, with law‑enforcement agencies confronting both property damage and significant injuries among protesters.