"1,500 thugs" were present in Paris to "break cops and public buildings," said the interior minister, who was speaking from the Paris police headquarters.
At this stage, there are 172 arrests in France, including 77 in Paris, including some for "attacks against persons holding public authority" or "fires", he added.
Many of those arrested are "young", "many are known" as belonging to the "ultra-left", he said, denouncing "the bordering desired by a part of the far left", which "will not win".
Around 22:00, 140 fires had been recorded in the capital, including "forty" being extinguished, he added.
At this time, 149 police and gendarmes were injured, some "seriously", he regretted, evoking throwing "acid, Molotov cocktails, cobblestones", against the police.
The damage that took place "is very important, much more than the previous days," said Mr. Darmanin, denouncing in particular the degradation of "public buildings" in Bordeaux where the porch of the town hall was briefly burned or in Lorient (Morbihan) where a police station was targeted.
© 2023 AFP