Macron vows action after riots during France protests, at least 1,800 arrested

• At least 1,800 people were arrested after protests over living costs and school conditions were accompanied by rioting and looting across France.

• President Emmanuel Macron promised accountability for the destruction and instructed authorities to strengthen protection for public buildings and businesses.

• Renewed tensions in Paris followed widespread damage, including a devastating fire at Limoges’ historic city hall.

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised action against those responsible for rioting and looting during nationwide protests over rising living costs and conditions in schools, after authorities reported at least 1,800 arrests.

In a televised address on Sunday, Macron said those who damaged property would be made to cover the losses and face accountability. He described the destruction as a source of public anger and shame, blaming radical far-left elements and criminals for the violence.

His address followed an emergency meeting with senior officials after masked groups set fires and attacked public buildings in several cities on Saturday, The Hindu reported.

Macron said prefects had been instructed to coordinate with mayors to protect businesses and public property in the coming weeks. Measures could include prohibiting demonstrations where necessary.

Among the most severely damaged buildings was the 19th-century city hall in Limoges, central France. Fire engulfed the structure, bringing down its roof and leaving much of the building destroyed.

Authorities estimated that about 550,000 people joined demonstrations nationwide, while organisers claimed a turnout of roughly 800,000. A labour union, student organisations and activists seeking to revive the yellow vest movement had called for the protests.

The movement, which first emerged in 2018, mobilised demonstrators against social inequality and financial pressures.

Fresh tensions in Paris

Hundreds of people returned to Place de la République in Paris on Sunday, where police maintained a substantial presence. Officers fired tear gas during sporadic confrontations as small groups attempted to burn bicycles and rubbish bins.

The square and surrounding streets bore extensive signs of the previous night’s unrest, including broken shop windows, scattered glass and cobblestones torn from the ground. The base of the central Marianne monument was also damaged.

Paris police reported 855 arrests across the capital region. Prosecutors said 557 people remained in custody.

Police also reported that one person had died from a heart attack, although they released no further details. The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez defended the right to demonstrate but condemned organised violence. He said hundreds of businesses had been looted in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.

Residents surveying the damage expressed shock and distress. Some who supported the demonstrations said the destruction risked undermining the demands that had brought people onto the streets.

The nationwide arrest total approached the nearly 2,000 recorded on a single day during the yellow vest protests in December 2018.

Political recriminations intensify

The unrest triggered exchanges between political leaders ahead of the presidential election next spring.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticised Macron’s government as incapable of responding effectively to the crisis.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon blamed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s handling of the situation for deepening public anger. However, Mélenchon, who attended Saturday’s Paris march, also urged supporters to reject looting and destruction.

US President Donald Trump commented on the unrest on Truth Social, linking it to immigration and calling on France to close its borders.

French authorities have not established a connection between immigration and the rioting. Their statements have instead attributed some of the violence to radical far-left groups and individuals who joined the disorder to loot.

With agency inputs