PARIS �� French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the country's "Yellow Vest" protests were a serious blow to the nation's companies and economy.
"It's a catastrophe for business," Le Maire said Sunday while visiting shops in Paris a day after the destructive protests. "It's a catastrophe for our economy."
In Paris, many retailers boarded their windows Saturday in anticipation of the protests on the Champs-Elysee and surrounding avenues, and busy shopping districts in the Opera district. Department stores like the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps were closed on a December weekend day that would typically be a peak for holiday shopping.
On some streets, demonstrators tried to erect barricades, using furniture and paving stones, and defied police. Rioters looted a golf supply store, making off with clubs they used to smash the windows of bank branches.
Police arrested 1,700 people nationwide and held 1,200 in custody after containing several late night skirmishes Saturday. About 179 people were hurt as extreme-right, extreme-left and anarchist groups defied anti-riot forces in Paris, according to police. In Paris, at least 920 people were arrested, with as many as 620 in custody.
