Al Jazeera reporter harassed, struck on head amid France protests, looting

Rosie Birchard, a correspondent for Al Jazeera, said she was confronted and harassed by demonstrators who were looting stores in Rennes, France. During the incident an object was thrown that hit her on the head. Birchard’s account comes as protests over education reforms and the rising cost of living spread across the country, with reports of clashes, fires and looting emerging from multiple cities. The story was published on 17 October 2026.