Interior minister speaking nowpublished at 18:46 BST 17 OctoberBreaking
We're now hearing from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
You can watch live above. We'll bring you his key points here soon.
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Summary
There is "no place for violence", French President Emmanuel Macron says, as protesters clash with police across France over falling education standards and the cost of living
About 550,000 people have taken part in the protests, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says 1,200 people have been arrested
Many of the buildings have been smashed into, and we've seen some protesters looting and throwing glass bottles, our reporter in Paris writes
In Limoges, firefighters are battling a blaze at the city hall, which Nuñez says has been set on fire
French MP Clémence Guetté, from the left-wing party La France Insoumise, says the government's response "provokes" the protesters and "makes the situation degenerate"
It follows three weeks of student-led protests across the country, with calls for workers' unions and key figures from the "yellow vest" movement to join the students
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Interior minister speaking nowpublished at 18:46 BST 17 October
Prefect's residence in Bordeaux attacked - authoritiespublished at 18:34 BST 17 October
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesThe official residence of the prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde has been damaged during protests in Bordeaux.
The prefecture's official social media account says Prefect Sophie Brocas condemns the attack as the act of "violent individuals" seeking to "destroy, steal and sow disorder" across the city.
"The freedom to demonstrate cannot justify either the violence, the damage, or the harm to property," the prefecture says. "The perpetrators will have to answer for their actions."
Image source, Prefect of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and the Gironde departmentImage caption, The prefecture also says shops in Bordeaux have been looted
'We felt safe but then the mood shifted' - Leeds man in Parispublished at 18:13 BST 17 October
Rozina Sini
Mick Tickner, from Leeds, is in Paris.
He recalls how riot police were running in the Le Marais district.
"A protester shouted 'no violence please!' towards the police. We felt safe but then the mood shifted," he tells BBC Your Voice.
Tickner says there was "a lot of tear gas used which we got caught in which was scary".
He says that when he and his girlfriend, Dannii, were struggling after the tear gas, a young protester gave them some eye wash and helped them get back on the right road.
Tickner says they knew about the protests before going to Paris and were prepared to stay away, but then they moved to the street where they were staying.
"It’s calm here now and the fires are out. Everyone was clapping the fire brigade when they were doing their jobs."
The picture below shows the view from his hotel.
Image source, Mick Tickner
French PM says country will not be 'intimidated' by violencepublished at 17:53 BST 17 October
Image source, EPAFrance’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says the country will not be “intimidated” by violence during today’s protests.
People have the right to protest peacefully, but there is no place for “arson, looting, and attacks”, he writes in a social media post.
"To those who clearly want to use this violence as a 'warm-up' before the presidential election, I say clearly: We will not let ourselves be intimidated. No one will impose their political agenda through violence."
The French government has blamed the “far left” for mobilising today’s protests, ahead of the presidential election in April.
Lecornu also praises police officers for the “extreme violence” they have faced, adding that they deserve the public’s support.
In pictures: Vandalism and looting in Parispublished at 17:40 BST 17 October
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, La Barrique bar burns in Paris - the fire has since been put out
Image source, ReutersImage caption, Protesters vandalise a McDonald’s restaurant
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, A tobacco shop in Paris left ransacked after the protests
Protesters loot and throw glass bottles in Parispublished at 17:34 BST 17 October
Adina Campbell
Reporting from ParisThere’s a constant ring of emergency sirens sounding and the air is thick with tear gas.
Many of the buildings surrounding us have been smashed into, and we’ve seen some protesters looting and throwing glass bottles, which is adding to the chaos.
Protesters, some of whom have travelled here from the suburbs intent on causing trouble, are continuing to clash with police.
It’s got so rowdy here that we’ve even seen some protesters fighting among themselves.
The volatile atmosphere is stirring up a mixture of emotions and in some cases people are prepared to square up against anyone they come across.
It’s not safe to be out on the streets at this point.
Police officers injured in Toulon, steamroller used in Caen - local authoritiespublished at 17:26 BST 17 October
Amid the protests across France, fuelled by calls for greater investment in schools, there have also been outbreaks of violence and looting.
In Toulon, local authorities say there were "several acts of violence" at the head of the procession.
Two police officers were injured by projectiles, while "violent individuals" also dismantled barriers at a Christmas market and used them against police, the authorities add.
Violence is also reported on the fringes of a protest in Caen, where groups were engaged in "looting and vandalism", according to local officials.
Stones were thrown and graffiti sprayed on several public buildings in the city. A steamroller was used to force open a police gate, and two police vehicles were damaged, officials say.
Meanwhile, France's Union of Senior Staff of Internal Security (Syndicat des cadres de la sécurité intérieure, SCSI) says a Hugo Boss store in Lyon was looted and set on fire after other businesses were also "ransacked".
Rapid-response riot police deployed as tensions rise in Paris - latest developmentspublished at 17:06 BST 17 October
Rorey Bosotti
Live reporter
Image source, ReutersProtests across France are continuing into the afternoon, as students demand better school conditions and yellow vests call for measures to tackle the spiralling cost of living.
Here's a quick look at the latest developments:
- In Paris, a rapid-response riot police force has been deployed to the Les Halles area
- Our reporter says "it does feel a lot more heated and hostile" in the last few hours, while our correspondent notes there is "a clear contrast" between the official march and small groups "clearly bent on making trouble"
- Officials say 272 people have been arrested nationwide so far, with the interior ministry reporting attacks on police officers and looting
- In Lyon, the tourist office was heavily damaged after protesters broke windows and a fire broke out in the building, while in Lille, demonstrators were seen breaking into City Hall
- Marine Le Pen, leader of the hard-right National Rally, accuses "rioters" of "poisoning" the protests, while Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise, says the media have been focusing on the violence while "everything is unfolding in calm"
Stay with us as we continue to bring you updates on the protests across the country today.
Shops ransacked and 'a republican symbol' attacked in Lille, says mayorpublished at 16:54 BST 17 October
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, Protesters have been clashing with police in Lille
The mayor of the northern French city of Lille has condemned a series of attacks on public buildings as "deeply revolting and intolerable".
Arnaud Deslandes says a group of "vandals" entered the city's Mediation House - where the public can access free legal advice and support - and caused some damage. He says it was an attack against a "republican symbol".
Deslandes also says shops have been "ransacked" and has expressed his support for local business owners.
Protests continue as daily life goes on across Francepublished at 16:43 BST 17 October
We can now bring you more pictures from across France.
While violence has erupted in some cities, daily life appears to be proceeding as normal despite the protests.
Image source, ReutersImage caption, Visitors in Strasbourg don't seem to have been greatly hindered by the protests, with some seen enjoying a cruise along the river
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Some street vendors have been capitalising on the protests, catering to demonstrators
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Police presence has been heightened in popular areas of Paris, including the Arc de Triomphe
There is violence but also peaceful protesters - Manchester exchange studentpublished at 16:25 BST 17 October
Rozina Sini
Benjamin Woolfe, 20, is a University of Manchester student spending an exchange year in Paris.
He lives near Place de la République, where he’s witnessed skirmishes between protesters and police.
"I haven’t taken part in the protests but I have been down to the edge of the square where I saw riot police charges. There's lots of people with signs and a big police presence," he tells BBC Your Voice.
"One of my friends got tear gassed but many international students have kept a distance because they're on visas and don’t want to risk it."
Benjamin says he doesn’t have strong opinions about the reasons for the demonstrations, having lived in Paris for only a few months.
"A lot of coverage has focused on the violence but there are also lots of peaceful protesters," he adds.
Rapid-response riot police deployed in Parispublished at 16:18 BST 17 October
Image source, EPAImage caption, Protesters take cover behind a banner as French police use a water cannon following clashes in Paris
A rapid-response riot police force has been deployed in Paris, the city’s prefecture confirms.
“Like other mobile force units reinforcing the police prefecture’s staff, CRS 8 is intervening in the Les Halles area,” it says in a statement.
“Given the expectation that the processions would be highly mobile, an agile deployment strategy was adopted, with units intervening systematically to restore calm.”
CRS 8 is a specialised force trained to combat urban violence.
Loss of tourist office is heartbreaking, says Lyon mayorpublished at 16:11 BST 17 October
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesThe mayor of Lyon says the burning of the tourist office is "a tragedy" for the city.
Pictures from the scene show protesters wearing masks breaking the windows before a fire broke out inside the building. Local police said "hostile individuals" had prevented firefighters from putting out the blaze.
Mayor Grégory Doucet tells BFMTV: "It breaks our hearts because it's a very iconic, well-known historic building, so the fact that rioters attacked it and set it on fire is a tragedy for us."
Doucet adds that he has spoken to the prefect and ordered local police to focus on protecting public buildings. He says those open to the public have been "evacuated several hours ago".
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesParis student 'not OK' with violence but 'proud' of her generationpublished at 16:02 BST 17 October
Mariam is a student at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and has joined thousands of other students to "protest for our education".
"We just want to study, we just want a future," she tells the BBC, accusing the French government of failing to talk to her generation.
She says she's "not OK" with the violence that has erupted, but is "very proud of my generation" for standing up to protect their future.
"We just want everybody to study... We want all the students to have the same rights because there is a lot of inequality," she says.
Paris streets feel less safe than they did a few hours agopublished at 15:54 BST 17 October
Adina Campbell
Reporting from Paris
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A car burns amid thick smoke as protesters gather at Place de la République
It does feel a lot more heated and hostile in Paris now, and the atmosphere has certainly shifted.
We've actually been inside a cafe for the last half an hour, because there have been several fires going on around us.
It doesn't feel as safe as it did a few hours ago.
The police here pushing back protesters to disperse them from Place de la République, but people aren't deterred.
Protesters break into Lille City Hallpublished at 15:46 BST 17 October
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesMore from Lille.
New pictures appear to show a group of protesters trying to break into the town hall this afternoon.
Additional photos show a damaged door inside the building. The AFP news agency and local media report that some demonstrators managed to get inside before fleeing the scene.
Earlier, we reported that protesters managed to get inside the town hall in Marseille.
In Grenoble, the town hall was damaged, according to the authorities.
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesPolice and protesters clash on streets of Lillepublished at 15:41 BST 17 October
In Lille, in northern France, police are deploying tear gas as they clash with protesters in the streets.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Hooded and masked protesters walk through tear gas
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Protesters hurl objects on streets
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Riot police are splattered with paint
Le Pen accuses 'rioters' of 'poisoning' protestspublished at 15:36 BST 17 October
Image source, ReutersMarine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France’s hard-right National Rally (RN), has accused "rioters" of "poisoning" today’s protests across the country.
Protesters’ demands have been "hijacked by the far left", she writes on social media, adding that groups legitimising violence "seek to plunge the country into chaos".
Earlier, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI - France Unbowed), said "everything is unfolding in calm" at today’s protests across the country.
France’s interior ministry said "black bloc" groups had formed within marches, "centered around far-left elements".
Our Paris correspondent observes that the main march in Paris seems to be peaceful, although he says small groups of protesters around the capital appear bent on making trouble.
City hall damaged, business vandalised - interior ministrypublished at 15:26 BST 17 October
More from the French interior ministry, which has provided details of damage and disruption across the country.
In Paris, it says, "several unsanctioned protest groups are attempting to converge on seats of power. Law enforcement is intervening systematically to block these movements and secure institutional sites".
The ministry also lists the following hotspots:
- In Marseille, intruders entered the city hall and businesses were vandalised
- In Lyon, the tourist office was set on fire and shops were damaged
- In Avignon, individuals entered the courtyard of the Vaucluse prefecture
- In Grenoble, the city hall was damaged
- In Pau, Montpellier, Toulouse and Valence, businesses were vandalised
Authorities say 272 arrested nationwide amid 'escalation in violence'published at 15:17 BST 17 October
Breaking
Image source, ReutersThe French interior ministry says there has been an "escalation in violence" and confirms 272 arrests nationwide.
In an update, it says there are 20,000 demonstrators in Lyon, similar numbers in Nantes and 10,000 in Rennes.
The ministry says "black bloc" groups have formed within the marches, "centered around far-left elements".
It adds: "law enforcement officers have been targeted, businesses have been looted or subjected to attempted looting, and public buildings have been attacked and damaged".
"Security forces remain heavily deployed to contain violent groups, protect public buildings, and prevent looting," it says.