France arrests man, calls in anti-terror police over town hall protest fire

French security forces on Tuesday arrested a man believed to be linked to ultra-left movements over the burning down of a historic town hall in central France during rioting at the weekend on the sidelines of nationwide protests.

Anti-terror police have been called in to investigate the suspected arson of the town hall in the central city of Limoges, a listed building dating back to 1883 whose roof and belfry collapsed when it was engulfed by fire on Saturday.

The destruction of the building has become a symbol of the violent rioting that erupted on the margins of a day of protests Saturday. The demonstrations were called in a show of anger against grievances including the rising cost of living and conditions in schools.

The scenes of the burning building collapsing also brought back memories in France of the April 2019 fire that ravaged Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which investigators believe started by accident but horrified the country.

The man was arrested by officers from the specialised RAID police unit in the nearby town of Val d’Issoire, the Limoges prosecutor’s office said. He was 34 years old, a source with knowledge of the case said.

He had previously been flagged as someone requiring surveillance as a potential threat and was linked to ultra-left movements, the source said.

Meanwhile, France’s Counter-Terrorism Sub-Directorate (SDAT), a branch of the judicial police, has been called in to investigate the case further, another source close to the case added, asking not to be named.

The building’s facade is still standing, though at risk of collapse. The interior and roof have been destroyed.

‘Betray France’

French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin told commercial broadcaster TF1 late Monday that anti-terror prosecutors would soon decide whether to investigate the incident as a suspected terror attack against the town hall organised by the ultra-left.

The right-wing mayor of Limoges, Guillaume Guerin, has lambasted the response by police, who he said “lacked the necessary resources” and “backed down” in the face of rioters.

He called on the government to “inject millions” to rebuild the town hall, adding that “the state has failed”. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was due to visit Limoges on Friday, his office said.

Around 5 000 people, including 700 individuals described by the authorities as “radicalised and extremely violent”, took part in the demonstration in Limoges on Saturday. Some 7 000 people then took part in a protest to denounce the violence on Sunday evening.

Darmanin, visiting the northern city of Lille, whose own town hall was briefly broken into and ransacked by rioters Saturday, said those behind the violence “betray France and the image of France”.

He vowed an “extremely firm” judicial response, warning that otherwise people “would take justice into their own hands” to stop being attacked.

He said that after fast-track hearings over the violence, “people with no previous criminal record are being sent to prison”, something very unusual in France where short sentences are often served outside of jail.

In Limoges, 10 people were arrested “for looting a shop, all of whom were immediately imprisoned,” he said.