Macron calls for ‘calm and order’ after riots across France
Macron urges restraint after nationwide protests descend into violence
Constantvpn.com – France faced a tense and damaged Sunday after a day of mass demonstrations over fuel costs, household pressures and weakening public services gave way to extensive unrest in several cities. President Emmanuel Macron appealed for restraint in a televised address from the Élysée Palace, calling for calm and a return to order as smaller clashes and looting continued in parts of Paris and Lyon.
Saturday’s mobilisation drew an estimated 550,000 people. Much of the protest activity was peaceful, with participants voicing anger over rising fuel prices, the cost of living and concerns about services including schools. But the scale of the demonstrations was overshadowed by violent episodes involving fires, attacks on property and widespread theft from shops.
“We all feel anger and shame.”
Macron said protesters with legitimate grievances must be distinguished from those responsible for destruction and looting. He warned participants in the violence against pushing the disorder further and said there was no justification for what he described as uncontrolled attacks.
“Nothing justifies” the violence, he said, adding that those responsible would be brought before the justice system.
Arrests and injuries after a day of unrest
France’s interior ministry said roughly 2,400 people had been arrested in connection with the disorder. About 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, including seven who were seriously hurt.
Groups wearing black clothing, masks and balaclavas appeared in Paris, Marseille and other towns and cities. Some set vehicles and buildings on fire, while businesses were looted in Paris, Marseille, Lille and elsewhere. The violence left city-centre streets strewn with broken glass, burned-out cars and debris.
On Sunday morning, shopkeepers in Paris were seen clearing large pieces of shattered glass from outside their premises as rubbish crews removed debris from major roads. Fresh fires were lit and some businesses were targeted during more limited unrest later in the day.
Hundreds of people confronted police in the capital, where tear gas and stun grenades were used. Officers were again hit with bottles and rocks. Lyon also experienced smaller-scale clashes as authorities worked to restore control following one of the most serious waves of public disorder France has seen in recent decades.
Limoges town hall severely damaged
One of the starkest symbols of the destruction was in Limoges, where a fire started during Saturday’s unrest devastated the city’s ornate 19th Century town hall. Flames spread through the building, causing parts of the roof and clock tower to collapse. Local officials said the town hall was largely lost.
Residents gathered near the damaged building on Sunday, reacting with shock and sadness to the loss of a civic landmark.
“This is very upsetting. Harming heritage buildings just because you are angry at the government is selfish, I think. It’s hurting everybody,” said Annèyse.
“It’s awful and unbelievable,” said Gerrard. “We are very sad and I think it will be a long time to put it back as it was before.”
The destruction in Limoges highlighted the wider consequences of unrest that moved beyond protest sites. Civic buildings, local shops and public spaces became targets, leaving communities to deal with repair costs, disrupted services and damage to historic places.
Government promises action and scrutiny
Macron said prefects and mayors would prepare measures intended to protect businesses and public buildings. He also promised full transparency over the policing of the demonstrations, a significant pledge after images emerged of riot police striking people with batons and security forces using tear gas and water cannon during the weekend.
The president’s remarks sought to address two competing pressures: recognising the economic and social frustrations that brought large crowds onto the streets, while making clear that criminal acts would not be treated as part of legitimate protest.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the right to demonstrate remained fundamental. He argued, however, that several thousand far-left activists had deliberately sought confrontations with police and attacks on public institutions. He said they were later joined by people who looted and ransacked businesses in cities across the country.
Political divisions sharpen ahead of election
The protests began last month as student action, then grew substantially on Saturday when trade union members and other anti-government groups joined. Their expansion has placed the unrest within an already charged political climate, with France preparing for a presidential election in April.
The political reaction has underlined the country’s deep divisions. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who leads the hard-left La France Insoumise party, criticised Nuñez and senior police officials online, accusing them of failing in their management of the demonstrations.
Mélenchon said they had “shown complete incompetence” and called them “specialists in organised chaos”.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the hard-right National Rally party, condemned what she called the exploitation of public anger by political groups encouraging violence.
For many demonstrators, the immediate concerns remain practical: fuel bills, household costs and fears about declining public services. Yet the destruction of shops, public property and heritage sites risks shifting attention away from those demands. The government now faces the difficult task of responding to the grievances behind the demonstrations while preventing further violence in the days ahead.
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