France holds crisis meeting after weekend of protest violence

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is holding a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday to assess a weekend of violence and looting across the country. The meeting follows Saturday demonstrations over rising living costs and reduced access to public services, including state education, that drew more than half a million people, most of them peaceful, according to BBC.

France's interior ministry said about 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven of them seriously. An estimated 1,500 shops and businesses were looted and destroyed. Riot police fired tear gas and used water cannon on crowds BBC.

Nearly 1,800 people were arrested during the unrest on Oct. 17-18, which saw violent fringe groups target public buildings Reuters. At least two deaths were connected to the rioting and protests over the weekend CNN.

Vandalism was reported in Marseille, while attacks targeting police and the media were reported in several cities Reuters.

President Emmanuel Macron gave a televised address on Sunday calling for national unity and assuring that perpetrators of the violence would be punished BBC. He condemned "shocking" scenes of violence on the sidelines of the cost-of-living protests Reuters.

The government blamed the violence on ultra-left groups and criminals Reuters. CGT union Secretary General Sophie Binet accused Macron on Sunday of failing to address students' concerns, the cost-of-living crisis and declining quality of public services, while Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of France's lower house of parliament, called for an inquiry into the weekend's events and why they happened BBC.