Marseille protests erupt into riots, police deploy armored Centaure vehicles
Violent clashes broke out on Marseille's Canebière and Vieux-Port, leading police to bring in armored Centaure units.
On Saturday morning a protest in Marseille's historic centre turned chaotic as masked participants clashed with police on the Canebière and surrounding avenues. The crowd threw fireworks and other projectiles, prompting the CRS to fire tear-gas grenades. By early afternoon, armored Centaure vehicles were deployed to reinforce law-enforcement.
Rioters broke shop windows, notably damaging an SFR storefront, and ignited numerous trash cans, including in the commercial rue Saint-Ferréol. The unrest preceded a scheduled 14:00 rally at the Vieux-Port, which was overtaken by the earlier violence. Authorities struggled to contain the disorder as vandalism and looting spread through the area.
Why it matters
The unrest disrupts Marseille's commercial hub and tests police capacity to control urban riots.
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