France Riots: 1,200 Arrested, Limoges Town Hall Burned, Italy Clashes Tooਫ਼ਰਾਂਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੰਗੇ: 1,200 ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰ, ਲੀਮੋਜ਼ ਦਾ ਟਾਊਨ ਹਾਲ ਸੜਿਆ, ਇਟਲੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਝੜਪਾਂ

France woke up on Sunday to burnt streets and looted shops after cost-of-living marches on Saturday turned into some of the worst rioting the country has seen in years. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said 1,200 people were arrested and more than 150 police officers were hurt, according to Reuters and AFP.

What happened on Saturday

France's interior ministry said about 550,000 people joined 110 marches across the country, including roughly 110,000 in Paris. The CGT union, which took part, put the turnout at 800,000. Most marchers were peaceful, but masked groups broke away, set cars on fire and attacked police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon, AFP reported.

In Limoges, masked protesters broke into the town hall at around 6 pm and set it ablaze, according to the Haute-Vienne prefecture. The building, inaugurated on 14 July 1883, was largely destroyed and its spire collapsed, Euronews reported. Town halls in Marseille and Lille were broken into and vandalised, a police compound in Bordeaux was damaged, and protesters set fire to the tourist office in Lyon.

Looting, injuries and arrests

AFP said scores of shops, from supermarkets and pharmacies to luxury boutiques, were looted in cities including Paris, Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg. Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said whole streets had been devastated. Reuters reported that Lecornu called it "a miracle" the toll was not higher.

A 17-year-old lost his right hand to a crowd-control grenade in Saint-Etienne, according to AFP. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed one person's hand was torn off, and French media said he had tried to pick up a stun grenade, Reuters reported. The police watchdog is looking into more than two dozen complaints of police violence.

Why people are protesting

The marches were called by the Yellow Vest movement and student groups, building on weeks of school protests over teacher shortages and poor facilities. The main grievance is the cost of living, pushed up partly by the war in the Middle East, according to AFP. The unrest comes about six months before the 2027 presidential election.

President Emmanuel Macron said those who vandalised or looted, "even in our town halls," would be prosecuted and punished. Lecornu blamed the "ultra-left" and criminals. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon urged protesters to stay away from looting, while Marine Le Pen condemned the rioters.

Italy sees clashes too

The unrest spread across Europe. In Italy, police fired tear gas at stone-throwers in Milan's Piazza del Duomo and used a water cannon in Bologna, where seven people were arrested, Reuters said. About 50 were detained in Milan, according to ANSA reports. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, "Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not." Italy is home to one of Europe's largest Punjabi communities, which is why Jugti is following the story. There were also protests in Belgium, Portugal and Albania.

How many people were arrested in the French riots?

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said 1,200 people were arrested and more than 150 police officers were injured on Saturday.

What happened to the Limoges town hall?

Masked protesters broke in and set it on fire on Saturday evening. Authorities said the 1883 building was largely destroyed and its spire collapsed.

Why are people protesting in France?

Marchers are angry about the high cost of living and declining public services, and student groups are demanding better school conditions, according to AFP and Reuters.