PARIS — French authorities arrested more than 1,800 people after nationwide protests over rising living costs and deteriorating public schools erupted into some of the worst rioting France has seen in years, leaving shops looted, buildings torched and whole streets in Paris described as devastated.

More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured in the unrest, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Sunday, as communities across the country woke up to burned-out cars, shattered storefronts and debris-strewn streets.

"The Republic will not yield," Nuñez wrote on X, according to The Guardian.

One person died of a heart attack during the protests, Paris police said, without providing further details. The Paris prosecutor's office said it had opened an investigation.

Hundreds of thousands march

About 550,000 people took part in demonstrations across France on Saturday, including 110,000 in Paris, according to authorities. Organizers put the turnout at about 800,000.

The marches were largely peaceful during the day, as protesters denounced soaring prices and poor conditions in schools and other public services. But as night fell, violent groups clashed with police, set fires and broke into shops.

In Paris, 855 people were arrested in the capital region alone, police said Sunday.

Destruction across........

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