{"id":2208186,"date":"2026-10-19T15:21:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2208186"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:21:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:21:03","slug":"in-pictures-french-landmarks-damaged-and-destroyed-by-violent-protesters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2208186","title":{"rendered":"In pictures: French landmarks damaged and destroyed by violent protesters"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/branded_news\/9ff6\/live\/21dbaa40-cbd6-11f1-9a39-31b474234113.png”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"BBCBBC<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Local curfews have come into force across France following a weekend of disorder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Most of the protesters were peaceful in expressing their opposition to rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

But others – dressed in black and wearing masks and balaclavas – set fire to cars, shops and buildings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

The scale of the destruction – including to some iconic landmarks – has shocked many in a country used to street protests. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

The damage in the capital city is extensive. Shop fronts have been broken and stores looted. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\"PAPA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Kiosks, vehicles and buildings were set alight and destroyed close to some of the city’s most recognisable areas, including here at Place De La Republique in Paris<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"GettyGetty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Front doors and windows were broken down as looting broken out in several cities<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Some groups erected barricades on the Champs-Elysees in Paris<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

The iconic Place de la Republique was vandalised, too. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

A yellow vest – representative of the movement which helped co-ordinate the weekend protests – was draped around the body of the Statue of the Republic, erected in 1883.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Groups of rioters, some dressed in black and wearing masks and balaclavas, took over parts of the capital and wreaked havoc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Tear gas and stun grenades were fired at hundreds of people but police struggled to contain smaller groups of people roving around the city attack businesses. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

The full extent of the damage did not become clear until dawn broke on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
This bakery was one of several businesses set on fire in Paris<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"GettyGetty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Some groups piled rental bikes in the middle of roads and set them alight<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"GettyGetty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Cars were set alight close to the Porte Saint-Denis in the capital<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Further south in Marseille, protesters broke into the city hall by using a metal fence as a battering ram. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

A bust of Marianne – symbol of the French Republic – was damaged and knocked to the floor in Marseille as people ransacked the building.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

City Mayor Beno\u00eet Payan was furious with the “almost total lack of control” by the security forces. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

“The world’s sixth largest power does not deserve this. The world is watching us, this morning we are the shame of Europe,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

In the city of Lyon, Mayor Gr\u00e9gory Doucet said the burning of the city’s tourist office, housed in a 19th Century building, was “a tragedy”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
Chaos around the tourist office in Lyon as flames engulf it<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Fire crews also battled a fire at Limoges town hall, which caused part of the building to collapse. Local officials said the town hall was “largely lost”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

“A wild horde” had “deliberately” set fire to the 143-year-old building, said Maurice Barate, the prefect for the Haute-Vienne department. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Comparison<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
In Limoges, the spire at the top of the ornate city hall has been destroyed by the fire<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

French authorities have admitted they lost control of cities to the protesters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Interior Minister Laurent Nu\u00f1ez offered his resignation – which has been rejected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Prime Minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu has given local mayors the power to introduce partial curfews in some parts of the country, which he says is designed to protect people and businesses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

But the French are holding their breath – in anticipation of another chapter in this protest next Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cmq8n7l0le11o”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/branded_news\/9ff6\/live\/21dbaa40-cbd6-11f1-9a39-31b474234113.png”] BBC Local curfews have come into force across France following a weekend of disorder. Most of the protesters were peaceful in expressing their opposition to rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools. But others – dressed in black and wearing masks and balaclavas – set fire […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[35,226],"class_list":["post-2208186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-bbc-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2208186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2208186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2208186\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2208186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2208186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2208186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}