Photos: Protests across France spiral into looting, blazes and clashes

Authorities reported about 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police officers.

It was “a miracle the toll isn’t higher,” Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said.Town halls in Limoges, Marseille and Lille were targeted, while a police compound in Bordeaux and a tourist office in Lyon were vandalised.

In Saint-Etienne, a 17-year-old lost his right hand after being hit by a crowd-control grenade.The unrest follows weeks of student protests to demand more investment in education and comes six months before the presidential election.

Far-right and left-wing contenders traded blame over the violence, even as President Emmanuel Macron promised that those responsible for looting and attacks on public buildings “will be prosecuted and punished”.

Authorities report 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police officers as unrest erupts in multiple French cities.