Macron Vows Crackdown as France Descends Into Chaos With Nearly 2,400 Arrests

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to hold those responsible for widespread violence accountable after a weekend of protests involving an estimated 550,000 demonstrators left businesses looted, public buildings damaged and vehicles burned.

Speaking in a televised address on Sunday evening, Macron called for national unity and condemned the destruction witnessed across the country.

“Businesses have been looted, while public buildings, shops, and town halls have been attacked,” he said. “Looking at these images, we have all asked ourselves how French people could do this to France.”

He promised that investigations would be conducted quickly and thoroughly, adding that authorities would examine intelligence failures that contributed to the unrest.

“I expect clear answers, and there will be full transparency,” Macron said.

Trump Blames Immigration for France’s Unrest

The French president’s address followed comments by US President Donald Trump, who claimed immigration had contributed to France’s instability after reports of looting, arson and clashes with police.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “France is burning!” He argued that immigration had “shattered” the country and urged French authorities to close their borders and regain control.

US Vice President JD Vance also criticised France’s approach to immigration and integration in a post on X.

“Western liberals imported the Third World into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion,” Vance wrote. “They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility.”

Nearly 2,400 Arrested as Police Clash With Protesters

French authorities reported 2,397 arrests on Saturday, while 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, including seven who sustained serious injuries, according to the interior ministry.

Police said unauthorised demonstrations continued in Paris on Sunday. Officers moved to disperse crowds and make arrests after detecting signs of rising tension.

Clashes continued around Place de la République in central Paris, where police deployed crowd-control measures during renewed unrest.

Authorities have also reported looting and damage in several other cities, including Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen and Toulouse.

Historic Limoges Town Hall Destroyed by Fire

One of the most significant incidents occurred in Limoges, where the historic town hall was set on fire on Saturday night.

The building, constructed in 1883, was left severely damaged after the blaze. It had played a role in the French Resistance during the Second World War.

Around 7,000 people reportedly took to the streets of Limoges on Sunday, a day after the fire. The city’s mayor, Guillaume Guérin, blamed anarchists and the far left for the disorder.

In Lyon, a tourist office was also set on fire, while footage from Paris showed shops being ransacked and vehicles burning.

In Nice, a comic book shop owner attempting to defend his business was knocked to the ground by a looter who kicked him in the back.

Police Say They Were Overwhelmed by Simultaneous Attacks

A senior police commander described the violence as “apocalyptic” in comments reported by Le Parisien, saying officers struggled to contain attacks occurring in several locations at the same time.

The source said some districts had fallen into the hands of rioters because there were insufficient personnel and ammunition to respond effectively.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said radical far-left groups, including Antifa, the New Anticapitalist Party and Permanent Revolution, were among those involved in the disorder.

He said investigations were under way to identify those responsible for attacks on police, arson, vandalism and widespread looting.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also accused far-left groups of orchestrating violence in several French cities, while distinguishing unlawful acts from peaceful demonstrations.

“Peaceful demonstrations have a rightful place in our Republic. Arson, looting, and attacks do not,” Lecornu said.

Left-Wing Politicians Criticise Police Response

Left-wing political figures rejected accusations that their movement had encouraged the violence and criticised the police response to demonstrators.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed, argued that police had fired too many tear-gas canisters at peaceful protesters.

He said the public-order strategy appeared designed to provoke confrontation.

Marine Tondelier of the Ecologists party also urged the government to reconsider its approach to maintaining order, arguing that insufficient restraint by law enforcement could increase tensions.

The unrest has also raised concerns about injuries sustained by demonstrators. Reports included a teenager who lost a hand after a police crowd-control grenade exploded and another young protester who suffered a serious eye injury.

An internal police watchdog is investigating multiple allegations of police violence.

Protests Driven by Cost of Living and Public Services

The demonstrations have been fuelled by anger over living costs, education standards and the government’s policies. Student protests against France’s education system have continued for almost five weeks, with other groups joining the movement.

The Yellow Vest movement, which began in 2018 in opposition to diesel tax increases before expanding into wider protests over living costs and inequality, has also been drawn into the unrest.

Some demonstrators have highlighted rising fuel prices and complaints across public services, including education, healthcare and the justice system.

The protests have spread beyond France, with demonstrations and clashes reported in Italy and Belgium.

In Milan, police used tear gas after clashes near the city’s cathedral, while shopkeepers closed their premises and the central Duomo metro station was temporarily shut. Several injuries and arrests were reported by Italian media.

In Brussels, several hundred demonstrators, many of them young people, protested against education costs and proposed reforms before clashes with police.

Le Pen Calls France a Country in Crisis

The unrest has intensified political tensions as Macron approaches the end of his presidency. His second and final term is due to conclude in 2027, leaving a divided electorate and a fragmented political landscape.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, described Saturday’s violence as “a threat to democracy” and said France was experiencing a “profound crisis”.

She criticised what she called an exhausted and disoriented Macron administration and accused far-left politicians of legitimising disorder.

Le Pen hopes to succeed Macron in the presidential election expected in May 2027, although her eligibility depends on the outcome of her appeal against a criminal conviction related to the misuse of European Parliament funds.

National Rally president Jordan Bardella said he was deeply concerned about the situation and warned that the unrest would bring further chaos to France.

Financial Markets Watch France’s Political Instability

The unrest has also raised concerns about the country’s public finances and borrowing costs.

French borrowing costs have already reached their highest levels in more than two decades, reflecting persistent difficulties in managing public finances and implementing reforms.

Andrew Kenningham of Capital Economics warned that bond yields could rise by as much as 0.1 percentage points on Monday.

He said the situation illustrated the difficulties of introducing reforms in France amid continuing political instability.

Macron has pledged that those responsible for the destruction will face prosecution and punishment, while authorities continue investigations into the violence and assess the failures that allowed the disorder to spread.