France was rocked by widespread unrest Saturday as demonstrations over the rising cost of living escalated into violent confrontations, extensive looting and fires across the country. Authorities described the clashes as being of “extreme intensity.”

The turmoil adds to mounting political instability ahead of presidential elections expected in roughly six months, as President Emmanuel Macron enters the final months of his tenure.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said entire streets “have been devastated” after masked groups set vehicles alight and ransacked businesses. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported late Saturday that 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers injured.

The demonstrations drew hundreds of thousands of participants. France’s Interior Ministry estimated attendance at 550,000 nationwide, while the CGT labor union put the figure at 800,000. Police deployed tear gas and water cannon as demonstrators threw objects and launched fireworks. In Saint-Etienne, a 17-year-old boy reportedly lost his right hand after a crowd-control grenade exploded near him.

Violence continued after the marches, with groups moving through urban neighborhoods, confronting officers, setting fires and breaking into closed businesses. Stores ranging from supermarkets and pharmacies to luxury retailers, clothing shops, opticians and electronics outlets were targeted in Paris, Marseille, Nice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Limoges, Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg.

Journalists in Paris observed groups of masked individuals apparently working together to loot shops. In some cases, they wore gloves, disabled security cameras and then smashed windows to enter the premises.

Public buildings also came under attack. Limoges’ historic town hall, which is more than 140 years old, suffered extensive fire damage after masked individuals reportedly forced their way inside. Officials also reported break-ins and vandalism at municipal buildings in Marseille and Lille. In Bordeaux, a police facility was vandalized, while protesters set fire to a tourist office in Lyon.

Macron responded with a warning on X, saying that “those who carried out vandalism, attacked administrative offices or businesses, or carried out looting — even in our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished”.

The unrest quickly became a political flashpoint, with candidates seeking to succeed Macron using the disorder to criticize their rivals.

Right wing presidential contender Marine Le Pen denounced “the rioters” and accused the movement led by her left-wing rival, Jean-Luc Melenchon, of having “legitimised the violence”. She pledged on X that, if elected, she would defend the French public “from the violence of the extreme left”.

Melenchon, who had backed both the nationwide marches and the student demonstrations that preceded them, called on participants to reject looting, saying it was “contrary to our methods”.

Saturday’s protests were promoted by France’s Yellow Vest movement, which became prominent eight years ago through demonstrations against Macron’s proposed fuel-tax increases. This time, the soaring cost of living was a central concern, with inflation in Europe exacerbated in part by conflict in the Middle East.

Protesters also expressed broader anger toward political leaders, wealth inequality and the country’s direction. In Paris, tens of thousands marched through eastern and northern districts, chanting slogans including “Everyone hates the police” and “Macron, resign”.

Some demonstrators invoked the French Revolution of 1789. In Marseille, protesters shouted “It’s the Revolution — we’re taking the Bastille!” as they forced their way into the mayor’s offices. In La Rochelle, marchers carried a sign declaring “Revolution or death”, while a large banner reading “The people will win” appeared over a central square in Montpellier.