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France saw the most violent and dangerous day of riots in weeks yesterday. Devastation on full display there. Rioters clashing with police wreaking havoc all across the country. Violent protesters were actually seen breaking into buildings, looting stores, and setting fires on the streets, and even laying waste to hundreds of year old buildings uh in just devastating fashion. About 2,000 arrests we can report at this hour, at least so far. Stephanie Bennett has more from London for us. Hi, Stephanie. Hey, Kevin. Yeah, it was one of the most violent days in years. More than half a million people demonstrated across the country. And as you mentioned, nearly 2,000 were arrested. One person died as
well after reports of having a cardiac arrest. A quick wrap around the country. Starting in Lyon, the tourism office was set on fire. It was a convergence of grievances after weeks of growing frustration and demonstrations. Over in Leo, the 143-year-old town hall burned to the ground. Angry students were joined by public workers, unions, and radical left political groups with fears of more nefarious actors being involved. Locals say it felt premeditated. It broke my heart when it fell. I saw Notre Dame all over again when it spire collapsed. Except this time, it was our town. It belongs to us.
Over in Bordeaux, government buildings were damaged, windows smashed in. It all started with students protesting learning conditions weeks ago, but the high cost of living, political leadership, fuel prices, and underfunded public services are some of the other issues for the growing crowd. Over in Marseilles, protesters, they stormed the town hall and things became physical. You can see there the French prime minister, he said this will not be they will not be intimidated and no one will impose their political agenda through violence. Protesters will be prosecuted and will pay for the damage they've caused.
It's heartbreaking. Heartbreaking seeing our city like this. It's inconceivable. It can't be. But is this what it's going to be like for every single demonstration? It can't be. Riot police used tear gas and water cannons, but the crowd overpowered them at times, throwing rocks, fireworks, glass, basically anything they could find. Masked demonstrators burned vehicles, smashed and looted shops. More than 600 officers were injured across the country. Now, French President Emanuel Macron will address the nation later today. He called for calm and respect, saying there is no place for violence in France. The protest though
could be a consequential turning point as the country heads towards those pivotal presidential elections come April. Kevin, real quick before I let you go, is it your understanding that Emmanuel Mcron and uh the first lady of France were at a Selen Dion concert last night during all of this? Is that what you're hearing? Definitely more questions than answers. We'll see if he addresses it later today. That's coming up in just under an hour now. He is set to address the nation, but uh you know the things are not uh people on the ground there in France have told us that it's just hard
to see. They have protests. You know, France is not uh not you know, it's a common thing to have protests over in France, but this one in particular yesterday was something like they've never seen before. the way things just turned so extremely violent so quickly and the damage that has come from these protests. I mean, it's going to take weeks to rebuild some of these places and local shop owners there who, you know, are probably already struggling already from the cost of living, government funding, everything like that are struggling and having something like this to now have to rebuild from. It's it's a big blow.
It is devastating. some of those pictures who were looking at the fire from the uh that beautiful building in you I think it was Leon. I'm not sure but anyway it was just awful. So uh we'll be watching. Thank you Stephanie Bennett. Appreciate that. Stephanie joining us from London. Violence is gripping the streets of France as some of the largest riots that France has ever seen continues to grow by day. Chanley Painter joining us now with the very latest on the unrest. Good morning Chanley. Hey good morning guys. So at least 1,200 people were arrested across the country yesterday in what the French government has described as an escalation in violence.
More than 550,000 people taking to the streets Saturday to protest education standards and rising cost of living. Riot police clashing with demonstrators amid widespread looting, vandalism, and arson. Police resorted to tear gas and water cannons as protesters became more violent. Around 150 officers were injured during the clashes. And a 140 plus year old town hall that survived both world wars was also set ablaze. French President Emanuel Macccron posting that there is quote no room for violence in our republic. Those who have broken attacked the prefectures and as well as businesses looted even our town halls will be prosecuted and punished.
Protests across the country have been ongoing for nearly five weeks across schools and universities. The French prime minister pointing to quote the ultralleft groups and delinquents as escalating the chaos. Guys, France reeling from destruction following mass unrest and riots yesterday where nearly 1,800 people were arrested. For more, let's bring in Republican Congressman Byron Donald's who is also running for Florida's governor. We will talk about the race. I first want to ask you about these riots in Paris, though. We are way past a student protest like last month. Now there's looting, there's arson. One protester got his hand blown off by a grenade. What do you make of all this?
Uh the first thing I make of it is that you can't continue to have this type of uh of lawlessness go through your streets. This is one of the reasons why in Florida um under current Governor Dantis, even with Governor Rick Scott, uh there was a clear standard for everybody that if you were going to have a peaceful protest, that's one thing. But if you were going to riot and loot, that just was never going to be tolerated. And unfortunately, you have leadership uh in Paris that allows these things to occur. They get out of control. People get harmed. Other people get caught in the way. Businesses are really uh damaged. It doesn't make for a safe city. It's really tragic to
see. But this is why so many people uh here in the United States and quite frankly other parts of the world have chosen Florida because they know that we are a safe state. We will remain a safe Incredible images there. Protests over schools and the cost of living taken over by radical socialists and violent mobs waving Palestinian flags, looting shops, smashing cars, and burning iconic buildings, including a town hall that survived both world wars as bloody riots spread through Europe. Our next guest has been warning about the rise of far-left radicals across Europe. Dr. K Akmed joins us now. So great to see you this morning. Thank you for uh helping
us understand some of this. Um first of all, what is going on here? So these protests started as genuine school protests by school children. The schools are underfunded. 72% of the school budget is spent towards pensions and salaries. Teachers are missing and so there was a real grievance. But that has rapidly been hijacked by those groups. Those are mostly calmer protests. Peaceful. Those have been peaceful. Many of them have been peaceful. There's been an agitation, a deliberate, violent hijacking of these protests by particularly far-left French political groups, political parties. And what are those these parties after?
What are they driving? Well, the French prime minister has named that the party, the LFI, which is a far-left anti- uh colonial, calls itself an anti-fascist, pro-revolutionary party that is behind a lot of the organization. And we know that foreign actors like China, Russia, and Iran are financing the agit that those terrible clips are propagated on social media. So, I want to read you this uh post that JD Vance, our vice president, uh put out last night. He said, "Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion. They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility. They were told it would lead to this and they didn't listen. I
pray that France, a beautiful country of amazing people, will stop this madness before more of it land more of its landmarks burn. And I hope Americans are paying attention. This is the future congressional Democrats seek for your country." Um, I want to talk about what's at the root of this. I mean, there is this assimilation problem. Clearly, a lot of these young people don't feel more French than they feel [clears throat] um an and an alliance and an affinity towards maybe their Islamic radical views. Maybe it's their own country um that they came from. But at the root of it are these, as JD Vance said, these NOS's, these liberal uh westerners who funded this, people like George Soros who funded this mass
migration. Um, in your view, what is the lesson for Americans? The root of this is the long-standing fight between the left and the right in France over resources. But the gasoline on that fire is exactly as the vice president said. uh millions of people who've been let into the country who are not earning as much as the average French person, are not employed at high rates, and are angry about it and so are reverting to, you know, ancestral grudges, throwing out flags of countries that they've probably never visited. Uh yeah, this is a warning for the United States. Hey everyone, I'm Emily Kano. Catch me and my co-hosts Harris Falner and Kaylee McNenni on Outnumbered every weekday at 12:00 p.m. Eastern or set your DVR.
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