France protests spread from schools to streets, with more than 1,200 arrested

More than 1,200 people were arrested during protests across France on Saturday, after demonstrations that began in schools grew into wider unrest. The latest violence brought street clashes in Paris and a fire that largely destroyed the town hall in Limoges, in central France, according to The Guardian.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said whole streets in the capital have been devastated. He described the violence as "unacceptable."

In Limoges, the town hall was largely lost to a fire set by masked protesters, the top regional official told AFP. That fire was later contained, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Police reported a record 855 people detained over protest violence in Paris.

The protests began last month at schools in the poor northern suburbs of Paris. They started as student protests over the cost of living. Anger over teacher absences and shabby facilities then morphed into a nationwide movement against inequality, weak public spending and falling standards.

The scale of the movement remains disputed. The CGT union estimated 800,000 protesters took part in demonstrations in October, according to Reuters. France's Interior Ministry said 6,100 people had been arrested since the protests began, the overwhelming majority of them minors.

More than 5,000 people had been arrested as of early October. Some protesters suffered serious injuries in early October, including eye injuries, broken teeth and blows to the head.