France is counting the cost of one of its worst nights of urban violence in years, as President Emmanuel Macron moved to steady a shaken government while refusing the resignation of his interior minister. What began on Saturday, October 17, as nationwide demonstrations over rising living costs and poor conditions in schools descended into rioting, looting and arson in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities, leaving nearly 2,400 people under arrest and a 19th-century town hall in ruins.
Macron's Sunday address: anger and shame
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening, October 18, Macron voiced what he called the public's "anger" and "shame" over the rioting and looting. He drew a sharp line between the hundreds of thousands who marched peacefully and the masked groups who, he said, attacked police, set fires and ransacked businesses.
"Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable," Macron said, denouncing "unrestrained violence" by "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals."
"Nothing can justify it, explain it or excuse it," he said. "Tonight we all feel both anger and shame."
Macron said prefects would work with mayors to protect public buildings and businesses, including by banning protests when necessary, and announced stakeholder meetings with students, teachers and unions this week. He stressed that peaceful protesters must not be confused "with those who destroyed and vandalized."
2,400 arrests, a town hall lost, two dead
The Interior Ministry reported nearly 2,400 arrests and almost 1,000 police and gendarmes injured, seven seriously, with some 1,500 businesses targeted. CNN reported two deaths over the weekend: a 22-year-old police officer struck by a vehicle in Nantes, and a protester north of Paris who suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest.
The most symbolic loss came in Limoges, where masked protesters torched a police car outside the 19th-century town hall, smashed its windows and started a blaze inside. The roof collapsed, and prefect Maurice Barate told AFP the building was "largely lost," calling it a "catastrophe for heritage" and a "deliberate act by hooligans." Built in 1873 and inaugurated in 1883, it had survived both World Wars.
Tensions flared again on Sunday at the Place de la Republique in Paris, where police used tear gas as small groups set fires, and clashes were also reported in Marseille. Turnout estimates for Saturday were disputed: the Interior Ministry counted 550,000 protesters nationwide, while the CGT union claimed 800,000.
Interior minister's resignation refused
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered his resignation on Sunday, telling France Inter radio: "I am the minister of the interior, I am responsible for everything that happens on the ground." On Monday he admitted police had "lost control" in some cities and a "lack of anticipation" in deploying security forces.
Macron refused, citing the need for continued law-enforcement leadership during the crisis, the Elysee said on Monday. He instead tasked Nunez with ensuring transparency over "failures in anticipation and intelligence" that fed the violence and putting new operational methods for security forces in place.
Opposition politicians, including several far-right figures, had called for Nunez's resignation on Sunday, and the mayors of Paris, Marseille and Limoges criticized the authorities' response.
Trump blames immigration
US President Donald Trump weighed in on Sunday, writing on Truth Social: "France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country." He urged France to "close your Borders and take control, before it is too late."
Vice President JD Vance had posted similar comments on Saturday on X, accusing "Western liberals" of ignoring "fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility" in immigration policy.
The demonstrations were not confined to France. Cost-of-living protests were also reported in Belgium, Italy and Portugal over the weekend, according to European media.
With France's presidential election about six months away, and Macron unable to stand again, the unrest has sharpened the political debate over public order, purchasing power and public services. Whether the promised security review and new measures calm the streets will become clear in the days ahead.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: The New Indian Express (AP); CNN; Al Jazeera; The Hindu.