Hundreds of arrests in Paris as protest erupts into violence

More than 400 people arrested and at least 130 injured, with one in serious condition

France's most violent urban riot in more than a decade has further strained the nerves of the government as hundreds of thousands of protesters torched cars, smashed windows, looted stores and scrawled over the Arc de Triomphe with multicolored graffiti in Paris on Saturday.

Demonstrators angry about rising fuel taxes and the high cost of living clashed with French police, who closed off some of the city's most popular tourist areas and fired tear gas and water cannon as they tried to quell the mayhem in the streets.

French President Emmanuel Macron, just back from the G20 summit in Argentina, rushed to the Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, with the government considering a state of emergency after the worst bout of unrest for years.

Macron and key ministers were to meet later on Sunday to consider declaring an emergency to prevent a recurrence of the riots. The government is open to dialogue but will not change course, spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said.

"No cause justifies that security forces are attacked, shops pillaged, public or private buildings set on fire, pedestrians or journalists threatened or that the Arc de Triomphe is sullied," he said during the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, saying he would "never accept violence".

More than 400 people were arrested and at least 130 injured－including one protester who was in a serious condition on Saturday night－after the rampage erupted on the margins of anti-fuel tax demonstrations held by the citizens' protest movement known as the yellow vests.

The protest began early on Saturday morning as peaceful "yellow vests" arrived at Champs Elysees Avenue to start a march in a continuation of the citizens' movement that started two weeks ago in opposition to rising fuel taxes, and which later shifted into a much broader anti-government and anti-Macron protest movement about inequality and poor living standards. Slogans were raised slamming Macron and accusing him of being a symbol of an elite who did not care about the problems of ordinary people.

The yellow vests movement has gained significant support from the general public and is proving the biggest headache yet for Macron, and even colored his international image as he had to defend his plans for fuel tax rises to other leaders at the G20 summit. The government's failure to ease people's concerns has led to copycat demonstrations in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Clashes escalating

By the afternoon, however, the Arc de Triomphe was surrounded by masked protesters fighting running battles with police. Conflicts escalated as violent clashes spawned in central Paris. Pockets of demonstrators built makeshift barricades in the middle of streets, lit fires, torched cars and trash cans, threw rocks at police and smashed and looted stores.

"The yellow vests will triumph" was scattered across the facade of the 19th-century Arc de Triomphe monument in large black letters－and greeted with condemnation from politicians.

A large part of central Paris was locked down by police, with all roads leading away from the Arc closed off as more police moved in. Over 20 downtown Paris metro stations were closed for security reasons and police ordered stores in nearby neighborhoods to close early on Saturday evening.

Hours later, some cars still smoldered and law enforcement and protesters were still facing off elsewhere in the capital.

French television showed police leading a shaken woman away from the protesters, and loud bangs rang out near the famed Champs Elysees Avenue where the violence was centered.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted her "indignation" and "deep sadness" at the destruction and clashes with police, saying that violence is "not acceptable".

Authorities counted 75,000 protesters on Saturday across the country, including 5,500 in Paris.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the head of France Insoumise party, described the protests as "a process of citizens' revolution".

Protesters tried to make their grievances heard by the government.

"It's difficult to reach the end of the month. People work and pay a lot of taxes and we are fed up," said Rabah Mendez, a protester who came from a southern suburb to march peacefully in Paris.

"The state is asking us to tighten our belts, but they, on the contrary, live totally above all standards with our money," said Paris resident Hedwige Lebrun.

China Daily/AP/The Guardian