Over the weekend, authorities in France reported a large wave of arrests tied to overnight protests across the country. The Interior Ministry indicated the total exceeded 450 arrests from Saturday night into Sunday morning, according to BFMTV reporting.
By early Sunday at 3:30 local time, authorities noted no severe incidents that could be directly linked to a growing protest mood. A national tally published by the agency counted 486 arrests nationwide, with many detentions linked to carrying items that could be used as weapons, and with a focus on maintaining public safety during ongoing demonstrations.
Earlier in the day, reports described the deployment of two armored personnel carriers to Marseille as part of efforts to quell disturbances in the city and protect residents, police, and property. This move reflected a broader strategy of rapid deployment to high-visibility flashpoints as protests continued to unfold across several urban centers.
The protests began after the police killed a 17-year-old in a Paris suburb on the evening of June 27. The demonstrations quickly spread to other cities, with residents in Lille and Toulouse joining those that started in Nantre. What began as peaceful demonstrations evolved into clashes with law enforcement, including confrontations with officers and damage to property. By the night of June 29, rioters were seen setting vehicles on fire, smashing storefront windows, targeting police, and erecting barricades. By July 1, unrest extended to multiple cities, with 1,350 vehicles set ablaze and 234 buildings damaged, including 47 police stations and 11 gendarmerie outposts at various levels. Authorities detained more than 1,000 people in connection with the rioting and vandalism observed in several communities.
Images from the day captured former protesters in Paris setting fire to police equipment as officers adopted crowd-control measures intended to restore order and safeguard communities. These events were reported by BFMTV as the situation unfolded across the country.