French President, Emmanuel Macron, has called for calm following widespread violence across France, as authorities assess the damage caused by riots, looting and arson during demonstrations over rising living costs and declining public services.
The unrest, which erupted in several cities on Saturday, left shops damaged, public buildings vandalised and thousands of people arrested. In Limoges, a fire severely damaged the town hall, with its clock tower collapsing in the blaze.
Fresh clashes were reported in Paris and Marseille on Sunday, as riot police intervened to prevent protesters from breaking into businesses.
In a televised address, Macron condemned the violence while acknowledging the grievances of people who participated in peaceful demonstrations.
“Looking at these images, we have all asked ourselves: What was going through their minds? How can French people do this to France?” Macron said.
“Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it. Tonight, we all feel anger and shame.”
The president said peaceful protesters had legitimate concerns, stressing that their demands should be distinguished from the actions of those responsible for destruction and looting.
However, he stopped short of declaring a state of emergency, despite calls from some right-wing politicians for tougher measures.
Macron said the government would empower local authorities to prohibit demonstrations where necessary to safeguard public buildings and businesses.
Police Arrest Thousands as Clashes Continue
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police had arrested 2,400 people nationwide, while nearly 1,000 police officers were injured during the unrest. One protester also died after suffering a cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris on Saturday.
Police clashed with demonstrators again on Sunday afternoon at Place de la Republique in Paris, firing tear gas to disperse crowds.
Some protesters also set fire to piles of bicycles, according to a Reuters witness who reported seeing several hundred people in the area.
The violence followed demonstrations that attracted more than 500,000 people to marches across dozens of French cities on Saturday.
The protests brought together a month-long student movement and wider public discontent over the rising cost of living, increasing fuel prices and deteriorating public services.
Authorities blamed the violence on groups they described as far-left extremists and criminals who allegedly exploited the demonstrations to loot businesses and attack public property.
Cleanup operations were launched in several cities, including Lille, Marseille, Strasbourg and Bordeaux.
In Bordeaux, a masked group reportedly stormed the residence of the local prefect.
Describing the situation in Paris, Dutch entrepreneur Tije De Boer, who was visiting the city with his children, said the violence forced them to leave their hotel near Place de la Republique.
“It’s like a war zone here!” he said.
Hundreds of Businesses Suffer Damage
Although hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated peacefully, violent groups targeted public buildings, looted supermarkets and luxury shops, and attacked police officers and vehicles.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally and a leading contender ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election, also urged restraint.
“Violence is not an opinion. Destruction is not a form of expression. And chaos cannot serve as a project for France,” she said in a video address.
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Melenchon, the presidential candidate of the left-wing France Unbowed party, called on Macron to respond to the demands of protesting secondary school students.
In Limoges, a city renowned for its porcelain industry, the destruction of the town hall revived memories of the devastating 2019 fire at Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.
Mayor Guillaume Guerin criticised the deployment of national police officers to the city, arguing that the security presence had been inadequate.
“There was a clear, premeditated intention to burn down the town hall, and the people inside feared for their lives,” Guerin told Reuters on Sunday.
He warned that he could resign if the city failed to receive sufficient funding to rebuild the damaged municipal building.
France’s Economy Minister Roland Lescure pledged government support for businesses affected by the unrest, warning that those responsible would face consequences.
“Those who break things will pay, repair the damage and be held accountable for their intention to sow chaos,” Lescure said in a statement.
The scale of the destruction was also evident in the retail sector.
Carrefour chief executive Alexandre Bompard told French broadcaster BFMTV that 50 of the company’s outlets had been damaged, including 20 that were looted.
The losses from the damage are estimated to run into tens of millions of euros.
The unrest has highlighted mounting social tensions in France as the country approaches the 2027 presidential election.
Macron, who is due to leave office next year after a decade in power, faces growing public discontent linked to economic difficulties, rising government debt and dissatisfaction with public services.
