French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to address the nation on Sunday after some of the country’s worst unrest in years left a historic city hall in ruins, businesses ransacked across major cities and at least 1,800 people arrested.
What began as nationwide demonstrations against rising living costs, deteriorating schools and declining public services descended into widespread violence on Saturday, with masked rioters setting buildings and vehicles ablaze, clashing with police and looting shops.
The scale of the destruction has plunged Macron’s government into a major political and security crisis just months before the end of his presidency.
Macron is expected to hold an emergency meeting with senior government officials on Sunday afternoon before delivering a televised address at 8pm local time.
French authorities estimated that around 550,000 people participated in Saturday’s demonstrations, while organisers put the figure at approximately 800,000.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said more than 1,800 people had been arrested nationwide.
Historic city hall reduced to ruins
Among the most devastating scenes was the destruction of the 19th-century City Hall in Limoges, where masked rioters set the building ablaze.
Flames engulfed the historic structure, causing its roof and iconic clock tower to collapse.
The building, inaugurated in 1883, had survived two world wars but was largely destroyed within hours.
Limoges Mayor Guillaume Guérin criticised the lack of police resources, saying security forces had been overwhelmed by the violence.
In Paris, masked groups smashed shop windows, forced their way into businesses and looted luxury goods, mobile phones, groceries and other merchandise.
Similar incidents were reported in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice and other cities.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said entire streets had been systematically destroyed.
Ariel Weil, mayor of Paris Centre, described the violence as unprecedented in central Paris, even compared with the earlier Yellow Vest protests.
Videos circulating online showed shopkeepers pleading with looters to stop, while others watched helplessly as their businesses were ransacked.
Luxury fashion houses, including Dior, deployed private security personnel to protect their premises.
Thierry Guibert, chief executive of Maus, which owns Lacoste, warned that the destruction threatened not only businesses but also jobs and years of investment.
From school protests to nationwide unrest
The movement began last month in high schools in Paris’s poorer northern suburbs, where students protested teacher absences, inadequate facilities and declining educational standards.
Those grievances gradually developed into broader demonstrations against inequality, the rising cost of living and cuts to public services.
Trade unions, students and supporters of the Yellow Vest movement joined the protests.
Although many demonstrations remained peaceful, groups of masked rioters engaged in arson, vandalism and looting.
The violence has intensified debate over the government’s handling of the protests and the ability of police to maintain order.
Trump blames immigration
US President Donald Trump intervened in the controversy, blaming France’s immigration policies for the unrest.
“France is burning!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, urging the country to close its borders.
US Vice-President JD Vance also criticised European immigration policies, claiming they had contributed to the disorder.
However, the demonstrations originated in grievances over education, living costs and public spending, rather than immigration.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attributed some of the violence to radical far-left groups and accused France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon of political irresponsibility.
Mélenchon rejected the accusation and blamed the government for aggravating the crisis.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen condemned the rioters and accused France Unbowed of legitimising violence.
The political confrontation comes as France approaches its next presidential election, with the unrest threatening to deepen divisions across the country.