Emmanuel Macron said France feels “anger and shame” after a day of protests that descended into rioters setting fire to cars and building led to 2,000 arrests on Saturday
In a national address on Sunday evening, Macron expressed support for French law enforcement, mayors, shop owners, and families following the “unprecedented violence” the day before.
Despite making clear that most protesters had taken to the streets peacefully with legitimate concerns, the French president warned the government would “make examples” of those who turned to looting and violence.
More than 500,000 people took to the streets before violent groups clashed with police officers in demonstrations across the country.
In Limoges, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse, with the lootings of hundreds of businesses in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice, and other cities.
Macron held an emergency meeting with top government officials on Sunday afternoon, before addressing the nation at 8pm.
US president Donald Trump hit out at the protesters, writing on social media: “France is burning!”
The protests began last month at high schools in Paris' poor northern suburbs, where anger over education facilities quickly morphed into a nationwide movement against inequality.
Key Points
- 'We feel anger and shame', says Macron
- Macron threatens to 'make examples' of protesters in national address
- More than 2,000 arrested in French riots
- One person dead from a suspected heart attack
- Donald Trump says 'France is burning!' on social media
In pictures: French streets destroyed by looting and riots
00:01 , Alex Croft
As France burns, Macron looks like a man who has lost control
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
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
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
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… 🥹
— Destination Télé (@DestinationTele) October 17, 2026
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
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
20:47 , Alex Croft
French police response under scrutiny
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
18:11 , Alex CroftWhat sparked the fiery protests in France – and how they could spread across Europe
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
French PM says government 'will not be intimidated'
17:16 , Alex CroftFrench prime minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government would not be "intimidated" by violence, and blamed the unrest on the "ultra-left" and criminals just months before a presidential election next year.
"To those who clearly want to use this violence as a 'warm-up' before the presidential election, I say clearly: We will not let ourselves be intimidated. No one will impose their political agenda through violence," he wrote in a post on X.
Some 1,200 people had been arrested as part of the protests, Lecornu added while visiting the sites in the evening. The number is now at more than 1,800.
Around 550,000 people had participated in the demonstrations across the country, interior minister Laurent Nunez said.
The CGT union told Reuters it estimated the number of protesters at 800,000.
Fresh clashes break out in Paris on Sunday
16:49 , 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.
When will Macron address the nation?
16:21 , Alex CroftAs we’ve been reporting, French president Emmanuel Macron will adress the nation today following yesterday’s protests.
Macron will speak at 8pm local time (7pm BST) on Sunday, his office said.
The address comes after protests over high prices and public services left one demonstrator dead, hundreds of police injured and led to the arrest of nearly 1,800 people on Saturday.
Famous Place de la République damaged in protests
15:55 , Holly EvansAround Paris' Place de la République on Sunday morning, dislodged cobblestones, shattered storefronts and broken glass marked the aftermath of the events.
Looting and damage were reported around the square and in some other tourist and shopping areas in the city centre.
"I am actually stunned by the level of destruction and violence that was expressed," Marie Peyreigne, a 57-year-old government employee said, wondering what led to the mayhem.
Far-left leader accuses French prime minister of 'playing with fire'
15:40 , Holly EvansFar-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
More than 2,000 arrested in French riots
15:16 , Holly EvansMore than 2,000 people have now been arrested in connection with the worst riots France has seen in years.
French interior minister Laurent Nunez said investigations are under way to "to identify the perpetrators of these acts so that they may be held accountable before the courts".
As France burns, Macron looks like a man who has lost control
15:09 , Holly EvansIn 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
14:55 , Holly EvansParis 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.
Far-right Marine Le Pen says rioters 'spoiled' demonstration
14:41 , Holly EvansPolitical leaders across the spectrum sought to parlay the fallout of Saturday's riots into political capital, looking ahead to next spring's presidential election.
Far-right leader and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen lashed out at far-left rival Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who joined the Paris march.
"Looting, ransacking, destroying and attacking law enforcement: Rioters have again spoiled the Oct. 17 demonstrations for the protection of purchasing power," Le Pen wrote on X.
Her running mate, Jordan Bardella, said on X that "if the silent majority of French decide it, we will reestablish order for the long term."
Piller, saccager, détruire, attaquer les forces de l’ordre : les émeutiers ont de nouveau pourri les manifestations du 17 octobre pour la défense du pouvoir d’achat.
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) October 17, 2026
Les revendications sociales légitimes ont une nouvelle fois été prises en otage par l’extrême gauche et les…
Protests spill over into Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium
14:29 , Holly EvansProtests have also taken place in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Belgium over the weekend over government corruption, housing issues and the cost of living.
In Milan, protests against rising costs ended with masked rioters throwing stones, with a water cannon and teargas deployed to control the crowds.
Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that while demonstrating was a right, “setting our cities ablaze is not”.
In Lisbon, a tent camp which is similar to the one established three weeks ago in Madrid has been set up, with protesters demanding action to tackle the housing crisis and rallying overnight at Rossio Square.
In Brussels, violent clashes erupted between police and hundreds of anti-fascist and student protesters in a movement inspired by the demonstrations in France.
Protests over poor living and education standards also take place in Albania
14:16 , Holly EvansElsewhere, 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.
Donald Trump says 'France is burning!' on social media
14:10 , Holly EvansUS president Donald Trump posted "France is burning!" on his Truth Social platform, apparently 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 wrote.
19th century Limoges city hall destroyed and widespread damage in Paris
13:59 , Holly EvansAuthorities said masked groups on Saturday set fires and attacked public buildings, including city halls, in several cities.
In Limoges, a city in central France, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse. Haute-Vienne prefect Maurice Barate told LCI television that the fire was deliberately set and nearly destroyed the building. The fire was under control Sunday.
Around Paris' Place de la République on Sunday morning, dislodged cobblestones, shattered storefronts and broken glass marked the aftermath of the events.
Looting and damage were reported around the square and in some other tourist and shopping areas in the city centre.
1,800 arrested with one dead from a suspected heart attack
13:56 , Holly EvansPolice arrested at least 1,800 people across France after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations that drew hundreds of thousands of people who denounced rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
Paris police said Sunday that 855 people were arrested in the French capital region alone.
About 550,000 took part in protests across France, according to authorities, while organizers counted about 800,000.
More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, Nuñez said.
One person died of a heart attack, Paris police said in a statement, without providing details. Paris prosecutors' office said it was investigating.
Emmanuel Macron to address the nation after violent protests
13:54 , Holly EvansFrench president Emmanuel Macron is set to address the nation at 8pm, after holding an emergency meeting with top government officials on Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, he wrote on social media: “No room for violence in our Republic. Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished.”
"The right to protest is a fundamental right. Deliberately and collectively sowing disorder through violence is not," Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X, pointing to the lootings of hundreds of businesses in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice, Limoges and other cities.
