In brief
After a weekend of protests, Marseille erupted into chaos. Fires lit streets, looting tore through 500 shops, and police suffered heavy injuries. Student activists describe a shift from solidarity to terror, while the city faces a call for a radical overhaul of policing. As warnings loom that remaining stores could be raided again, France braces for further protests.
Marseille in Chaos
Saturday night, protests in Marseille turned into a wildfire of looters and police. Fires lit city streets, smashing windows and taking businesses.
Local police said more than 500 shops were damaged, and 118 officers were hurt – the biggest hit for any French city. The city had just ordered an eight‑hour ban on demonstrations.
Marseille, France’s second city and a melting‑pot of cultures, is seeing its unrest ripple across the country. Students like 18‑year‑old Maryam joined the march, and she describes the shift from solidarity to terror.
Other key points: police ran out of tear‑gas, some youth blamed on Black Bloc agitators, city officials called for a “radical change of approach”. In the end, the mayor warned that any remaining stores will be looted again.
While curfew curbs may calm the streets for now, more protests are planned for the weekend. The city is under pressure as France tries to keep order amid rising violence.
