French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed strict action against those involved in rioting and looting across the country, declaring that anyone who sought to undermine the Republic would be held accountable. His remarks came after nationwide protests against the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services descended into some of France's worst unrest in recent years, leaving two people dead and hundreds injured.
Addressing the nation on Sunday evening, Macron said the violence had left the country feeling both “anger and shame”, as authorities reported around 2,400 arrests following clashes between protesters and police. Masked groups set fire to buildings, attacked public infrastructure and looted businesses in several cities, including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Limoges. More than 600 police officers were reportedly injured, while a police officer and a protester died in separate incidents linked to the unrest.
The president blamed what he described as radical far-left groups and criminal elements for the destruction, while stressing that the legitimate grievances of peaceful demonstrators should not be confused with acts of violence.
The protests, which drew an estimated 550,000 people according to authorities, were organised amid growing anger over fuel prices, living costs and deteriorating public services, including schools.
'Those who destroyed must pay': Macron warns rioters
“Those who destroyed must pay,” Macron said in his televised address. “Those who looted must pay back. Those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable.”
Condemning what he called “unrestrained violence”, the president described the perpetrators as “seditious elements from far-left factions, joined by numerous delinquents”.
“Watching these images, we were all wondering: what had got into them? How can French people do that to France?” he said, adding that “nothing can justify it, explain it or excuse it”.
Macron also called for calm and order as disturbances continued on a smaller scale on Sunday. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades at groups gathered at Paris' Place de la République, where protesters had assembled following calls on social media to continue the movement. Clashes and attempts to set fire to bicycles and rubbish bins were also reported.
The destruction was particularly severe in Limoges, where flames engulfed the 19th-century town hall on Saturday, causing its roof and clock tower to collapse. In Marseille, masked protesters forced their way into the city hall's lobby, while a fire broke out at a tourist office in Lyon. Hundreds of businesses were also reportedly looted across the country.
A 22-year-old police officer died in Nantes after being struck by a vehicle, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Separately, a protester died following a cardiorespiratory arrest near Paris, with authorities investigating the circumstances.
Government to engage protesters as political tensions rise
Despite his condemnation of the violence, Macron insisted that the government must acknowledge the concerns driving the demonstrations.
“Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of our compatriots demonstrated to state legitimate claims,” he said. “Never must we confuse the latter with those who destroyed and vandalized.”
He said he had asked the government to bring together students, teachers, trade unionists and other stakeholders this week to discuss concrete proposals addressing their concerns. Macron also instructed regional prefects to coordinate with mayors to protect public buildings and businesses, including through protest bans where necessary.
The unrest has also intensified political divisions ahead of France's next presidential election. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticised Macron's government as exhausted and incapable of responding effectively, while left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu of escalating tensions through his handling of the situation.
Mélenchon, who joined Saturday's march in Paris, nevertheless rejected looting and destruction, saying those who shared the movement's objectives had no place engaging in such acts.