France, Oct. 17 -- Authorities said 272 people had been arrested by mid-afternoon after violent incidents involving hooded individuals ​in Paris, Marseille, Rennes and Angers, the Interior Ministry said.

In Lyon, the tourist office in one of the central squares was set alight and police resorted to water cannon and tear gas to break up protesters trying to prevent firefighters from tackling the blaze.

"The images are shocking," said Lyon mayor Gregory Doucet. "I strongly condemn these unacceptable scenes of violence. Our public buildings are shared assets. Vandalising them means attacking the people of Lyon," he added.

In the northern city of Lille, protesters smashed their way into the mayor's office and vandalised the premises ...