France violence: Protesters block Louvre Museum as unrest spreads

Protesters blocked the entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris on Monday as French authorities scrambled to contain public anger over the rising cost of living following mass demonstrations that descended into some of the worst street violence in recent years over the weekend news agency AFP reportedFrench President Emmanuel Macron ordered a security review after Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted that the police had lost control during the weekends unrestUndeterred by the governments response the Yellow Vests movement which organised the weekends rallies called for another round of protests on SaturdayItaly Spain and Portugal where anger over rising prices has also triggered demonstrations were closely monitoring developments after clashes broke out in Milan over the weekend and protests over housing costs continued in Spanish citiesAround half a million people took to the streets across France to protest the surging cost of living marking the culmination of four weeks of demonstrations that began with high school students demanding better conditions at their schoolsWhat began as peaceful demonstrations turned violent in several places with masked groups on the sidelines attacking law enforcement personnel breaking into town halls and other public buildings and setting many of them ablaze Shops were looted while cars bicycles and scooters were set on fire on the streetsNunez offered to resign on Monday after more than 2500 people were arrested and nearly 1000 members of the security forces were injured Protesters were also hurt with one demonstrator losing a hand after being struck by a police crowdcontrol grenadeOn Saturday in some major cities you couldnt look shopkeepers in the eye after hundreds of shops had been looted and tell them we hadnt lost control Nunez saidMacron refused to accept Nunezs resignation even as he acknowledged security and intelligence failures in the governments response despite the deployment of around 60000 law enforcement personnel across the country on SaturdayMore than 2330 people were taken into police custody nationwide over the weekend 70 per cent of them adults Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said on MondayMore than 2000 shops were expected to have been affected by the weekends violence across France with the damage running into hundreds of millions of euros according to Alain Di Crescenzo president of the chamber of commerceIn an address to the nation on Sunday evening Macron condemned the unbridled violence and said local authorities would be able to ban certain rallies in the coming days if necessaryHowever he stopped short of announcing drastic measures such as a state of emergency or a curfewAuthorities in Marseille announced on Monday that public gatherings would be banned in the city from noon to 8 pm local timeLouvre blocked amid continuing public angerPublic discontent showed no signs of subsiding on Monday as demonstrators blocked the entrance to the iconic Louvre Museum in Paris the worlds most visited museumWe are proud to announce that we are blocking the worlds largest museum read a leaflet posted outside the museum The museums management and unions said the protest was led by students from Ecole du LouvreRising prices have fuelled public anger in France where diesel prices have increased by nearly 40 per cent and petrol prices by 25 per cent since March Food prices have also risen by 25 per cent since 2021Protests add to political tensions ahead of electionsThe unrest has intensified just months before a key presidential election in which centrist Macron cannot stand for another term and farright presidential candidate Marine Le Pen of the National Rally party is riding high in opinion pollsMinisters have blamed ultraleft groups for the violence while Le Pen alleged that the party of her farleft presidential rival JeanLuc Melenchon had legitimised the violenceThe left has accused Macron of ignoring protesters demands while the right has called on him to take a tougher stanceCostofliving protests spread across EuropeWith the cost of living rising across Europe smaller demonstrations have also broken out in other countriesDuring the weekend clashes erupted on the sidelines of a costofliving demonstration in Milan The citys mayor Giuseppe Sala expressed concern over the violenceIm very worried because its a new phenomenon which also originates from an international scenario and therefore feeds itself he saidIn Spain hundreds of tents have occupied Madrids central Puerta del Sol square since September when the eviction of an 87yearold woman from her lifelong flat triggered nationwide protests in a country grappling with soaring housing costsDozens of tents have also appeared in the Portuguese cities of Lisbon and Porto where protesters are demanding action to address rising housing costsWith AFP inputs