Violent French protests are 'catastrophe' - French finance minister

Violence linked to the "yellow vest" protests sweeping France are a "catastrophe" for the nation's economy, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned Sunday.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire and German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz hold a news conference after a Euro zone finance ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium November 19, 2018. REUTERS/Eric Vidal

"It's a catastrophe for commerce, it's a catastrophe for our economy," Le Maire told reporters as he visited shops in Paris hit by looting during anti-government riots a day earlier.