French police make arrests following violent nationwide inflation protests

Hundreds of people have been arrested across France after demonstrations against rising costs and declining services turned violent, according to the Independent reported by BBC News. Recent press coverage noted that the events are among the most violent protests in recent times. [1][2]

Demonstrators set fire to a tourist office in Lyon and vandalised a town hall in Marseille during the unrest, BBC News reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, half a million people joined nationwide marches against soaring inflation, leading to clashes where looters stripped dozens of shops and set fires. [1][2][5]

French authorities have made more than 8,000 arrests during weeks of violent unrest, as FTMQ News reported earlier. President Emmanuel Macron pledged to capture and hold accountable those who incited chaos across French cities. [5]

In separate British press reporting covered by BBC News, The Times led with an investigation into Special Air Service soldiers. Five men were arrested on secret bases in Syria and Iraq in 2022, kicking off a three-year criminal investigation into soldiers accused of murder who were allegedly sent into war zones while under police investigation. [1][2]