A young man suffered a severe injury in Saint-Étienne when a small explosive detonated, blowing off his hand, according to the city’s mayor, Régis Juanico. He described the incident as a tragedy that should never have occurred.
The unrest stems from massive protests by hundreds of thousands of students in recent weeks, who have marched against severe staff shortages and deteriorating facilities in the country’s lycées—secondary schools serving 15- to 18-year-olds.
These student demonstrations have been significantly bolstered by members of trade unions and various other protest organizations.
Among these groups is the prominent “gilets jaunes” (yellow vest) movement, which protested cost-of-living increases for over a year starting in 2018, becoming one of the longest-lasting protest movements in French history.
France’s interior ministry reported that Saturday’s demonstrations saw “targeted acts of violence” carried out by “hooded individuals” in several locations, including parts of Paris as well as Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse, and Angers.
Widespread damage to public and private buildings was reported across the country, with incidents documented in Grenoble, Avignon, Pau, Montpellier, and Valence.
In Paris, clothing and food shops were targeted and looted, while an Apple store in Lille was broken into and completely emptied.
Authenticated footage from BBC Verify captured masked individuals driving a tourist train through the narrow streets of Grenoble’s city center, steering it directly toward at least three riot police officers.