French prime minister holds crisis meeting following widespread national protests and rioting

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is holding a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday to assess a weekend of nationwide violence and looting, BBC News reported. More than 500,000 people took to the streets on Saturday to demonstrate against rising living costs and declining access to public services. [1][5]

The peaceful demonstrations deteriorated after masked groups appeared and caused damage, according to BBC News. An estimated 1,500 shops and businesses were destroyed and looted as riot police deployed water cannons and tear gas. [1]

The violence caused widespread disruptions across several French cities, including Paris, Lyon, and Limoges. As FTMQ News reported earlier, a fire in Limoges caused the town hall roof to partly collapse, and more than 500 emergency personnel were injured nationwide. [4][5]

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said over 1,800 people were arrested following the protests, as FTMQ News reported earlier. The National Football League is currently monitoring the unrest ahead of a planned game between the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers at the Stade de France near Paris. [4]