Moment French rioters attack shopkeeper and distraught woman begs them not to loot store as police admit they’ve ‘lost control’ of violent protests that saw 143-year-old town hall incinerated

Violent demonstrations over living costs, education and President Emmanuel Macron’s government spread across France, with police saying they were quickly overwhelmed. The unrest left businesses damaged and looted, public buildings ablaze and residents and shopkeepers caught up in the disorder.

About 550,000 people reportedly took part, and more than 1,200 were arrested. In Limoges, the 143-year-old town hall was badly damaged by fire; in Paris, footage showed a woman pleading with looters to leave a supermarket, while a comic-book shop owner was attacked as he tried to defend his business. Police cited a lack of personnel and equipment as they faced simultaneous incidents across the country.