Looting and buildings ablaze: France's violent Saturday protests in 10 pictures

A protester wraps a French flag around them in front of the burning tourism office during a demonstration in Lyon, France, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. - Copyright Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

By Nathan Rennolds

Published on 18/10/2026 - 12:02 GMT+2

Addressing the protests in a post on social media on Saturday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron said there was "no place for violence" in France.

Cost-of-living protests descended into violence across parts of France on Saturday as demonstrators clashed with police officers and set buildings and vehicles alight.

More than half a million people are thought to have joined the demonstrations, including 110,000 in the French capital, Paris. Violence also broke out in cities such as Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice, Toulouse, and Limoges, where the town hall was almost completely destroyed in a fierce blaze.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Sunday that more than 500 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were injured during the protests, with 1,800 people arrested.

Euronews has put together 10 of the most dramatic images from the day.