In a televised address from the Élysée Palace on Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron urged the nation to "calm and order" after a day of protests that escalated into widespread looting and arson. He warned participants not to "escalate" and said that while the anger was understandable, the violence was unacceptable.
Some 550,000 people marched on Saturday to protest rising fuel costs, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, but a faction of rioters, many dressed in black and wearing masks, set fire to cars, damaged buildings and, in Limoges, gutted the 19th‑century city hall, collapsing its clock tower and roof.
Police arrested about 2,400 people, according to the interior ministry, and roughly 1,000 officers were injured, seven seriously, during clashes that saw tear gas, stun grenades, water cannons and batons used against crowds. The interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, described the unrest as “outrages” committed by “several thousand far‑left individuals” and later by “delinquents” who looted businesses.
Opposition leaders reacted sharply. Jean‑Luc Mélenchon of La France Insoumise blasted the police response as “complete incompetence,” while Marine Le Pen of the National Rally condemned the alleged exploitation of public anger by political forces that encouraged violence.
Macron said local prefects and mayors would draft measures to protect shops and civic buildings and promised full transparency over the police response. He added that those who destroyed property would face justice, stressing the need to distinguish legitimate demands from destructive acts.
As France heads toward its April elections, the unrest highlights deep political divisions that could shape the contest between the hard‑right and hard‑left. The government’s handling of the protests will likely influence public sentiment in the months ahead.
