French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu called for curfews across France on Monday following a weekend of unrest as up to 800,000 people took to the streets to demand urgent reforms.
The beleaguered head of government said following a crisis meeting that he had asked prefectures and regional governments to put in place “partial curfews” in response to the mounting demonstrations.
While hundreds of thousands protested peacefully across France on Saturday, violent fringe groups targeted public buildings, looted luxury boutiques and supermarkets, and attacked police vehicles and officers.
Lecornu blamed the violence on what he called the “ultra-left” and accused “criminal elements” of being behind the violence. He said there was “currently an issue with the far-left in Marseille”, which on Monday imposed a ban on public gatherings.
Denain, in the north, also announced a nighttime curfew to last until Sunday, following reported violence over the weekend.
Read MoreWhat sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they could spread across Europe
As France burns, Macron looks like a man who has lost control
More than 2,000 arrested as France faces up to aftermath of nationwide protests
More than 1,800 arrested as protesters clash with police across France over rising living costs
Key Points
- Macron calls for unity but warns France 'will not yield' to protesters
- Parisians blame 'troublemakers' who turned protest into riot
- Fresh clashes break out in Paris on Sunday
- Far-left leader accuses French prime minister of 'playing with fire'
- What sparked the fiery protests in France
Teenager loses eye and protester loses hand as scrutiny grows over French police tactics
11:40 , Shweta SharmaTeenager loses eye and protester loses hand as scrutiny grows over French police tactics
French authorities have opened investigations into two serious injuries sustained during nationwide protests, as concerns mount over police use of riot-control weapons.
Prosecutors in Mulhouse, eastern France, said a 17-year-old girl lost an eye after being injured during the demonstrations.
A separate investigation was opened on Saturday after a young protester lost a hand in Saint-Etienne.
The circumstances surrounding both injuries remain under investigation.
The incidents have renewed scrutiny of French police tactics, particularly their use of grenades and other crowd-control weapons during demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Paris police said one person died of a heart attack during the unrest. The Paris prosecutor's office is investigating the death.
The European cities facing protests from Paris to Milan as continent gripped by cost of living crisis
11:15 , James ReynoldsViolent protests have broken out across Europe amid growing frustration over the cost of living crisis, a lack of affordable housing and deteriorating school conditions.
As many as 550,000 people turned out across France on Saturday, according to authorities, to demonstrate against declining public services. Protests turned violent in Paris as shops were looted and cars set on fire in some of the city’s worst violence in years.
Young people waved Italian flags and let off flares in Milan as they rallied against rising the rising cost of living in scenes that were condemned by prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
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All the European cities on fire after a weekend of violent protests
Trump declares ‘France is burning’ and blames immigration for unrest
11:00 , Shweta SharmaUS president Donald Trump has weighed in on the violent protests in France, appearing to blame immigration for the widespread rioting and looting.
“France is burning!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, linking the unrest to “the immigration of people from an entirely different world”.
“Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!” he added.
French authorities and police have not linked immigrants to the violence, which erupted during nationwide demonstrations against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
French president Emmanuel Macron instead blamed radical far-left activists and criminals for much of the destruction.
“How can French people do this to France?” Macron asked during his televised address on Sunday
Le Pen accuses Macron government of powerlessness after France riots
10:20 , Shweta SharmaFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen has launched a scathing attack on Emmanuel Macron's government following violent nationwide protests that left thousands arrested.
Le Pen, a presidential hopeful, described the centrist government as “exhausted, disoriented and seemingly incapable of doing anything other than commenting on its own powerlessness”.
Her remarks came as political leaders traded accusations over the unrest ahead of next spring's presidential election.
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon also criticised prime minister Sébastien Lecornu, accusing him of “playing with fire”.
Mélenchon, who participated in Saturday's Paris march, distanced his supporters from the violence.
“My message is clear: those who share our fight have no business in looting or destruction,” he said.
Marseille imposes ban on public gatherings for Monday after violent protests
10:02 , James ReynoldsMarseille imposed a ban on public gatherings and demonstrations for most of Monday, according to an edict issued by the local administration, after the city was hit by violent protests and looting over the weekend.
The ban will take effect from midday until 8pm local time.
Weekend catch-up: Government 'will not yield' as buildings set alight
09:40 , James ReynoldsFrench president Emmanuel Macron on Monday declined his interior minister Laurent Nunez’s offer to resign following a weekend of widespread rioting.
Macron on Sunday condemned what he called the “dissenters” who looted and vandalised cities in “shocking” scenes across the country.
He said he had ordered a review to determine whether there had been failings in intelligence gathering or police preparedness before the protests, and said prefects and mayors would have extra powers to ban gatherings where necessary.
Nunez said that “the Republic will not yield” as more than 1,800 people were arrested. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured.
Authorities said as many as 550,000 people took to the streets on Saturday, with 110,000 in Paris alone. Organisers claimed total figures of around 800,000. Sunday did not see similar incidents.
French PM Sebastien Lecornu holds crisis meeting on violent protests
09:14 , James ReynoldsFrench prime minister Sebastien Lecornu is holding a crisis meeting in Paris on the protests sweeping the country.
President Macron arrived in Kuwait on Monday for a Gulf tour that will see visits to the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.
France's Macron declines interior minister's offer to resign
09:11 , James ReynoldsFrench president Emmanuel Macron has declined Interior Minister Laurent Nunez's offer to resign after widespread weekend rioting.
Macron said Nunez should stay to ensure a chain of command is retained within the police and security forces, and has also asked Nunez to set up as quickly as possible new approaches to deal with looters, the Elysee presidential office said on Monday.
Nationwide demonstrations erupted into riots on Saturday, with a town hall torched, shops pillaged and buildings covered in graffiti as violent groups clashed with police in cities.
Up to 800,000 joined France protests before violence erupted
09:00 , Shweta SharmaHundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools, before demonstrations descended into violence in several cities.
French authorities estimated that around 550,000 people participated in the nationwide marches, while organisers put the figure at 800,000.
Police deployed in large numbers around the square and fired tear gas as sporadic clashes broke out.
Small groups of people attempted to set bicycles and rubbish bins alight, adding to the destruction left by Saturday's unrest.
The demonstrations were organised by trade unions, student groups and activists seeking to revive the yellow vest movement, which emerged in 2018 over social inequality.
At least 2,400 people were arrested across the country, surpassing the nearly 2,000 arrests recorded during a single day of yellow vest protests in December 2018.
Historic French city hall nearly destroyed in fire during violent protests
08:00 , Shweta SharmaA 19th-century city hall in central France has been almost completely destroyed after rioters allegedly set the historic building ablaze during nationwide protests.
Flames engulfed the City Hall in Limoges, causing its roof to collapse and leaving much of the building in ruins.
Haute-Vienne prefect Maurice Barate said “radical troublemakers” had broken into the building while elected officials, employees, security personnel and members of the public were still inside.
“They deliberately set the building on fire. It is an extremely serious and unspeakable act,” he said.
The attack was among several incidents targeting public buildings during Saturday's demonstrations.
Recap: Macron calls for unity but warns France 'will not yield' to protesters
07:00 , Alex CroftMacron appealed during his address yesterday for unity across France after the violent scenes on Saturday.
“Everyone must be accountable and take their responsibility,” he said.
“We must make sure our youth believe in their future, believe they can be around the table, so we need all to sit round the table and build together the solution, students, pupils, teachers trade unionists, our local authorities, everyone must be together for the greater good,” he added.
But he said that for “those who want to spark violence and create unrest in our country, we will not yield”.
What sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they could spread across Europe
06:00 , Alex CroftHundreds of people were arrested and buildings set on fire across France on Saturday as protests over the cost of living crisis spread.
In Paris, police fired tear gas into crowds on Saturday, while there were also violent incidents reported in Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers. By Sunday, as the clean-up began, more than 1,800 people had been arrested.
The turmoil marks the latest test for Emmanuel Macron’s presidency as France contends with both foreign and domestic troubles.
The protests began in September, launched by students angry at the conditions at their high schools after the summer holidays.
However, they have since grown, fuelled by a wider group of protesters incensed about the cost of living.
Here’s everything you need to know about the movement.
What sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they could spread across Europe
More scenes from France's protests on Saturday
04:29 , Alex Croft
Fresh clashes break out in Paris on Sunday
03:00 , Alex CroftFresh clashes broke out in Paris on Sunday a day after France suffered one of its worst days of unrest in years.
Police again fired tear gas towards protesters at Place de la Republique and bikes were set on fire on Sunday afternoon, a sign that tensions had not fully subsided in the capital.
Protests over high prices left one demonstrator dead, thousands arrested and shops across the country looted or damaged on Saturday.
Far-left leader accuses French prime minister of 'playing with fire'
01:30 , Alex CroftFar-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who joined the Paris march, accused prime minister Sébastien Lecornu of "playing with fire" and alleging that "by banking on degradation, you have only succeeded in uniting all youths and workers' unions."
Mr Mélenchon insisted that "my message is clear: those who share our fight have no business in looting or destruction."
Monsieur Lecornu,
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) October 17, 2026
Vous avez joué avec le feu. En comptant sur le pourrissement, vous n'avez réussi qu'à solidariser toute la jeunesse et les syndicats de salariés. Puis vos consignes de répression sauvages révélées par le Canard enchaîné ont déclenché une mobilisation sans… https://t.co/s4WRetZ0Qe
In pictures: French streets destroyed by looting and riots
Monday 19 October 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
As France burns, Macron looks like a man who has lost control
Sunday 18 October 2026 23:29 , Alex CroftIn his last few months as president of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron looks more than ever a man who lost control of events, lost touch with the nation he leads, and lost the confidence of international investors with it.
This is not a comfortable, confident position for any leader to be, but with a hung parliament hardly able to pass a budget and the very fabric of of the nation unravelling, this lame duck - who once promised so much with his unifying project of a radical centre - has been, and is, reacting in all the wrong ways to the malaise now enveloping his country.
Rather than through, say, a television interview or a speech delivered in person, President Macron, so inappropriately aloof, chose initially to react to the protests that have broken out across France over the weekend, sparking disorder, violence and hundreds of arrests in a rather terse statement on X: “Those who took part in the vandalism, attacked prefectures and stores, and engaged in looting, including in city hall buildings, will be brought to justice and will be punished.”
Read the full analysis here:
As France burns, Macron looks like a man who has lost control
Emergency unit created to assess damage in Paris
Sunday 18 October 2026 23:01 , Alex CroftParis mayor Emmanuel Grégoire announced the creation of an emergency unit to support businesses assess the damage.
"The scale of the damage is considerable and unprecedented," Mr Grégoire wrote in an open letter.
"Paris is a city of freedoms, debate and demonstrations. It must remain so. But it must also be a city where everyone can work and run a business safely."
Police said groups of hundreds of people formed unauthorized marches across central Paris on Saturday.
"By late afternoon, a new phase began with the arrival of large numbers of people whose sole aim was to steal and loot, taking advantage of the unrest," police said.
107 police officers injured in Marseille, three seriously - ICYMI
Sunday 18 October 2026 22:23 , Alex CroftIn Marseille, 107 police officers were injured including three “seriously”, according to one of the area’s prefects.
"Alongside the acts of looting and violence witnessed by the city of Marseille today, 107 police officers were injured, three of them very seriously," Jacques Witkowski, the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, said according to Le Parisien.
He added: "I respectfully thank the law enforcement officers who were mobilized on the front lines throughout the day and who are still holding on. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured men and women."
Watch: Moment roof of Limoges town hall collapses after being engulfed in flames
Sunday 18 October 2026 21:52 , Alex CroftA tow hall in the central French city of Limoges has collapsed after it was set on fire on Saturday.
Dramatic footage shows the moment the historic building’s roof caved in as it was engulfed in flames.
"The roof has collapsed onto the lower floors, except in the west wing, and two-thirds of the facade have already disappeared," state representative Maurice Barate said according to Le Parisian.
Mr Barate described it as a "heritage catastrophe" and a "deliberate act by vandals."
Local authorities have advised residents to avoid the area for safety reasons.
La mairie de Limoges s’effondre… 🥹
Classé monument historique, le bâtiment existait depuis 150 ans (1876) pic.twitter.com/UW3Ej8UNm3
Protests over poor living and education standards also take place in Albania
Sunday 18 October 2026 21:20 , Alex CroftElsewhere, police in Albania said that 388 people had been charged with criminal offences as widespread protests take place in the capital Tirana.
Prime minister Edi Rama on Sunday rejected calls to step down from growing street protests, and said they were a threat not to his government but to Albania's progress toward joining the European Union.
Student-led demonstrations, fuelled by anger over perceived government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards, have engulfed central Tirana and spread to other cities in the past week.
Demonstrators demanding Rama's resignation have set fire to government buildings as well as banks and pulled up paving stones to throw at police, who have responded with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets.
The unrest, which followed months of largely peaceful protests in the summer against a luxury coastal development backed by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, pose the biggest challenge yet to Rama, who has governed since 2013 and last year won a fourth term in office.
"I am not being challenged, the government is not being challenged, a government majority or a winning party in the elections is not being challenged but a path is being challenged, a mission is being challenged," Rama said in a live address on Facebook.
In pictures: Protestors clash with police in violent demonstrations
Sunday 18 October 2026 20:47 , Alex Croft
French police response under scrutiny
Sunday 18 October 2026 20:17 , Alex CroftThe protests in France began last month at high schools in Paris' working-class northern suburbs, where anger over teacher shortages and shabby facilities evolved into a broader movement focused on inequality, public spending and living standards.
Police tactics have drawn criticism following injuries among demonstrators, including a teenager who lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade.
The police watchdog is investigating at least two dozen allegations of police violence.
Prime minister Sebastien Lecornu said more than 150 police officers had been injured in Saturday's protests, but did not say whether any protesters had been hurt.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez confirmed reports that one person had his hand torn off in clashes with police on Saturday. French media reported he tried to pick up a stun grenade.
The UNSA police union posted a video on X showing crowds attacking police vans with clubs and bricks in multiple locations. The union warned the government police forces were at breaking point.
"Today again, in every corner of France, our colleagues are being used as punching bags. Pelted with stones, injured, trapped in real ambushes," the union said. "Let everyone take responsibility: this cannot go onindefinitely. The rope is stretched to its maximum."
Parisians blame 'troublemakers' who turned protest into riot
Sunday 18 October 2026 19:45 , Holly EvansInspecting the damage, many Parisians took photos of the partially dismantled base of the central monument at Place de la République — a statue of Marianne, a symbol of France.
Jean Foissy, 74, said he wanted to join the protest but found "a wall of riot police and fires everywhere," and went back home.
"I was very scared," he said. "I've been a Parisian since I was born, so when I got here, it almost made me want to cry because I find it so bad, it hurts me."
Margaux Eude, 26, said she supports the protest movement but "didn't think it would escalate like this."
"It's the troublemakers who came, and it breaks my heart because it delegitimises the movement," she said.
Macron calls for unity but warns France 'will not yield' to protesters
Sunday 18 October 2026 19:13 , Alex CroftMacron is now appealing for unity across France after the violent scenes on Saturday.
“Everyone must be accountable and take their responsibility,” he says.
“We must make sure our youth believe in their future, believe they can be around the table, so we need all to sit round the table and build together the solution, students, pupils, teachers trade unionists, our local authorities, everyone must be together for the greater good,” he adds.
But he says that for “those who want to spark violence and create unrest in our country, we will not yield”.
Macron threatens to 'make examples' of protesters
Sunday 18 October 2026 19:08 , Alex CroftMacron says that the French government will “make examples if need be” of the rioters who were caught during this weekend’s unrest.
He says there will be “appropriate measures” for those who have stolen, smashed up shops, and attacked police.
Macron adds that the grievances of many of the protesters were legitimate.
“Hundreds and thousands of our compatriots came to the streets with legitimate questions and demands,” he says. “These protesters talked about the rising cost of living, of fuel, their worry around the different wars that France never wanted to engage in.”
'We feel anger and shame', says Macron
Sunday 18 October 2026 19:05 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing from Emmanuel Macron, who is currently addressing the French people after major riots swept the nation on Friday.
He said we all feel “anger, shame” after the streets were “ransacked” and expressed support for French law enforcement, mayors, shop owners, and any affected families.
The French president adds that those who were affected “won’t be alone”, with prime minister Sebastien Lecornu to set up a crisis meeting on Monday to assist those affected.
Macron to speak 15 minutes
Sunday 18 October 2026 18:45 , Alex CroftEmmanuel Macron is set to address the nation in 15 minutes, at 8pm local time (7pm BST).
Stay with us as we bring you the latest from his speech.
Clean-up operation begins after hundreds of shops damaged
Sunday 18 October 2026 18:36 , Alex CroftWhile hundreds of thousands protested peacefully, violent fringe groups targeted public buildings, looted luxury boutiques and supermarkets, and attacked police vehicles and officers.
A massive clean-up operation began in cities from Lille in the north to Marseille in the south and Strasbourg in the east to Bordeaux in the southwest, where a masked mob invaded the residence of the local prefect.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez said several hundred shops had been damaged on Saturday.
In Paris, smashed shop windows, burnt-out bicycles and spray-painted slogans bore witness to a day that began largely with peaceful demonstrations but descended into violence.
In Limoges, southwestern France, mayor Guillaume Guerin denounced the chaos after the city's 143-year-old town hall was set ablaze and largely destroyed in an arson attack on Saturday, drawing comparisons to the 2019 fire that devastated Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral.
"There was a clear, premeditated intention to burn down the town hall, and the people inside feared for their lives," Guerin told the Reuters news agency
He threatened to resign if the city did not receive the funds needed to repair the town hall.
Watch: Clashes and fires break out as protesters rally across France
Sunday 18 October 2026 18:11 , Alex CroftWhat sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they could spread across Europe
Sunday 18 October 2026 17:44 , Alex CroftHundreds of people were arrested and buildings set on fire across France on Saturday as protests over the cost of living crisis spread.
In Paris, police fired tear gas into crowds on Saturday, while there were also violent incidents reported in Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers. By Sunday, as the clean-up began, more than 1,800 people had been arrested.
The turmoil marks the latest test for Emmanuel Macron’s presidency as France contends with both foreign and domestic troubles.
The protests began in September, launched by students angry at the conditions at their high schools after the summer holidays.
However, they have since grown, fuelled by a wider group of protesters incensed about the cost of living.
Here’s everything you need to know about the movement.
What sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they could spread across Europe
