Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told French media outlet CNews on Friday morning that more than 900 fires were reported in the streets of Paris on Thursday night -- in one of the most violent days of protests in a while.
"There were a lot of demonstrations and some of them turned violent, notably in Paris," Darmanin said. He said more than a million people marched yesterday.
Police warned anarchist groups were infiltrating marches across Paris and other demonstrations. Men wearing hoods and facemasks were seen smashing windows and setting fire to trash piles and, in some cases, burning buildings.
Chaos on the streets of Paris
France 🇨🇵 on 🔥🔥🔥
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) March 23, 2023
🔊pic.twitter.com/CCxRmBmsxT
JUST IN: Protests in France are NOT LETTING UP, videos from Paris emerge showing what looks like a war zone..
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) March 23, 2023
WHY IS THE MEDIA HIDING CIVIL UNREST?
pic.twitter.com/OP64Km1UCT
JUST IN: Paris is being overrun by protestors..
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) March 23, 2023
Are we witnessing the beginning of a revolution?
pic.twitter.com/EQwBilJNdp
🚨🇫🇷URGENT - La mairie de #Bordeaux prend feu. pic.twitter.com/OUbsiZ4Iu7
— AlertesInfos (@AlertesInfos) March 23, 2023
Architectural beauty coupled with social unrest in one powerful picture!
— The Auld Reekie Group Ltd (@ARSC_Edinburgh) March 23, 2023
Victory to the workers 🇫🇷#France #Protests #Paris pic.twitter.com/ncM9dCpztw
Violent crackdown on protesters in France - imagine the media coverage if this happened in a country we are told to hate pic.twitter.com/RJ9Jg7FP85
— Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) March 24, 2023
The level of police brutality in France is beyond shame. Why is western media silent on this?
— Hassan Mafi (@thatdayin1992) March 24, 2023
French police violently beat up protesters.pic.twitter.com/oNcnT9Hb2g
Darmanin said 457 people were arrested last night, and 441 security forces were injured. He praised the police for their brave actions.
#UPDATE A total of 457 people were arrested and 441 security forces injured on Thursday during nationwide protests across France against President Emmanuel Macron's pensions reform, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin says ➡️ https://t.co/MvoQGpNlbc pic.twitter.com/ENWiNtde6N
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 24, 2023
Meanwhile, the demonstrations and violence have caused a significant fuel shortage, impacting gas stations nationwide. Other disruptions have been reported due to widespread strikes across many sectors of the economy, such as garbage piling up in the streets of Paris because trash collectors are protesting pension reforms.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen accused Macron of sparking conditions for a "social explosion."
"Consciously, the government is creating all the conditions for a social explosion, as if they were looking for that," she told AFP.
Le Pen's sentiment was shared with the Wall Street Silver Twitter account, which asked, "is France is on the brink of civil war?"
Recall earlier this week. We penned a note asking if "European Spring" had arrived.
France is so dangerous right now that even King Charles III of Britain postponed his visit.
And let's not forget that massive protests are scheduled for Germany early next week.
This all comes as a banking crisis spreads across the Western world.