Moment tour guide leads group of holidaymakers on river boat through Paris as city burns and sirens blare in the riots

Tourists on a river cruise in Paris got more than they bargained for as they watched the city be transformed into a 'battleground' by rioters. Holidaymakers who booked a tour along the River Seine on Saturday had a front-row seat to the chaos choking the city amid violent protests. The female tour guide can be heard enthusiastically pointing out the Eiffel Tower as thick clouds of black smoke hung in the air above. A large fire can be seen burning under a bridge as the boatload of tourists drew closer and loud sirens can be heard overhead. A passenger who shared footage of the doomed tour to TikTok wrote: 'POV: You're on a Seine river boat cruise while Paris is burning.'Locals were quick to share their thoughts on the footage, with many applauding the tour guide for her composure amid the violence. 'The tour guide acting like everything was normal - I love it,' one person wrote. 'The contrast between such a soft voice and the apocalypse,' a second said. A group of tourists who booked a river cruise in Paris got more than they bargained for as the city was transformed into a violent 'battleground' by rioters (pictured) The tour guide can be heard enthusiastically pointing out the Eiffel Tower as large clouds of black smoke hung in the air above (pictured) A large fire can be seen burning under a bridge as the boatload of tourists draws closer and loud sirens can be heard overhead (pictured)'It's surreal the way they're ignoring what's going on,' a third commented.Up to 1,800 people were arrested on Saturday after violent groups clashed with police and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest rising living costs, poor conditions in schools and Emmanuel Macron's government. Paris police said 855 people were arrested in the French capital region alone. The prosecutors' office said that 557 of them were kept in police custody.Authorities said masked groups set fires and attacked public buildings, with dozens of innocent shopkeepers looted during the 'apocalyptic riots'. Among the destruction, a distraught woman was seen begging rioters in Paris not to loot a supermarket on Saturday.She is heard asking 'why are you doing this' and screaming 'this is not the cause' as a group of young male rioters push past her into the smashed shop.In the heartbreaking video, the crowd then appears to cheer as the balaclava-clad looters leave the store with their arms full of stolen goods.A woman is seen pleading with rioters not to loot a shop, asking: 'Why are you doing this?' People shoot fireworks during protests in Paris on Saturday - many on the streets wore masks In Limoges, the iconic town hall - built in 1883 and having played a significant role in the French Resistance - burnt down on Saturday night Daylight images show the partially burnt facade of the Limoges Town Hall after the blaze Protesters clashed with French police as they demonstrated in Nantes, western France Protesters block roads during a demonstration near to the Gare du Nord in Paris McDonald's was ransacked by thugs in Paris with damage caused to the ordering tills Daylight images show broken windows at an Adidas store caused by rioters in Paris, FranceIn Limoges, a city in central France, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse. The fire was under control by Sunday. Mr Macron will hold an emergency meeting with top government officials on Sunday afternoon, before addressing the nation at 8pm, his office said. About 550,000 people took part in protests across France, according to authorities, while organisers counted about 800,000 attendees. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X. 'The right to protest is a fundamental right. Deliberately and collectively sowing disorder through violence is not,' he wrote, pointing to the looting of hundreds of businesses in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. One person died of a heart attack, Paris police said in a statement. Far-right leader and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen lashed out at far-left rival Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who joined the Paris march, on X. 'Looting, ransacking, destroying and attacking law enforcement: Rioters have again spoiled the Oct. 17 demonstrations for the protection of purchasing power,' she said.Her running mate, Jordan Bardella, said on X that 'if the silent majority of French decide it, we will re-establish order for the long term.'Mélenchon accused Lecornu of 'playing with fire' and alleging that 'by banking on degradation, you have only succeeded in uniting all youths and workers' unions.'He insisted that 'my message is clear: those who share our fight have no business in looting or destruction.'Donald Trump posted 'France is burning!' on Truth Social, appearing to link the unrest to 'the immigration of people from an entirely different world'. 'Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!' the US President wrote. French authorities and police have not linked immigrants to the rioting, instead attributing the violence to 'radical far-left groups'.