France saw some of its worst violence in decades on Saturday when nationwide protests over inflation and deteriorating public services turned into widespread rioting, Reuters reported.
More than half a million people participated and over 2,000 were arrested for violent behavior which marked some of France’s worst unrest in years, according to USA Today.
French authorities reported 550,000 participants. However, union organizers and labor groups estimated the size to be about 800,000.
Jemi Ndjadi, a first-semester cognitive science student, was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo before moving to Connecticut. Her first language is French, and she’ll regularly tune into French broadcasts with family.
“When I was back home, we would always watch France 24 and we would regularly see protests in France,” Ndjadi said.
Ndjadi added that it was normal to see protests on the news, but she said what was happening currently wasn’t normal.
“This time was different because there was more violence than usual. At first, I thought, ‘oh, another one,’ but when I actually saw what was happening, I realized it was pretty bad,” Ndjadi said.
The protests began last month by students who desired better funding for education and the quality of their schools. However, the movement turned into a broader anti-government movement once labor unions and other workers got involved, Reuters reported.
Protesters have focused their anger about the rising cost of living and high oil prices on French President Emmanuel Macron, according to USA Today.
The unrest also spread to historic landmarks, with some protesters directing their anger at buildings that form part of France’s cultural heritage.
Reuters reported how a 143-year-old town hall in Limoges was largely destroyed by looters who broke the window in an arson attack.
“I thought that was what shocked me the most because it had survived both world wars and then got destroyed during the protests. It was so old and historical,” Ndjadi said.
Macron spoke about his reaction to the protests on Sunday, according to USA Today.
“Looking at these images, we have all asked ourselves: What was going through their minds? How can French people do this to France,” Macron said, appearing calm.
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, also condemned the actions of the protesters, according to media group Stories Framing the Globe.
“We are going through a deep crisis of confidence and authority that poses a threat to democracy. This should serve as a warning to us: our country is being squeezed, if not held hostage, between violence and powerlessness,” Le Pen said.
The matter also drew attention from other world leaders including Vice President JD Vance who posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.
“I pray that France, a beautiful country of amazing people, will stop this madness before more of its landmarks burn,” Vance’s X post said.
President Donald Trump also expressed his opinion about the protests on his personal social media platform TruthSocial.
“What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration,” Trump said, blaming the violent protesters on migrants.
Then in the post Trump claimed that the riots are not about education, but rather “about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot criticized foreign commentary like Trump’s about the unrest, stating that France should “write its own story” rather than allowing others to do so, according to Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Some faculty at UConn also criticized commentary coming from world leaders about the protest. One example was Mary Allen, an assistant professor of French and Francophone studies in the Department of Literatures, Cultures and Languages.
“I am deeply disappointed, but not shocked, to learn that politicians like Marine LePen, J.D. Vance, and Donald Trump have all blamed recent civil unrest on immigration. Their scapegoating of immigrants is not new; it’s a disgusting pattern and deserves our condemnation. This kind of rhetoric hurts people, and we need to be very clear in our rejection of this hate speech,” Allen said in a statement to The Daily Campus.