Paris police break up second day of protests and looting

Police used tear gas and stun grenades to break up a gathering at Place de la République in Paris on Oct 18.

Several hundred people had assembled after calls on social media, but the authorities said the gathering was not approved.

The crowd threw bottles and rocks at police, and officers made several arrests.

The clashes followed nationwide cost-of-living protests on Oct 17 that descended into violence and looting in Paris and other French cities.

Police made 855 arrests in Paris that Saturday, and around 1,500 businesses were damaged nationwide, according to the Retail and Trade Federation.

The unrest has put pressure on France’s government six months before a presidential election.

President Emmanuel Macron was due to address the nation on the evening of Oct 18 and had vowed that people involved in vandalism or looting would be prosecuted.