French President Emmanuel Macron called for "calm and order" in a national address from the Élysée Palace after protests over fuel prices and the cost of living turned into rioting and looting across multiple cities on Saturday and into Sunday.
Macron said those involved in the violence would face justice, stating that "nothing justifies" the "unbridled" violence. He drew a distinction between the "legitimate demands" of protesters and "those who destroyed, smashed and looted." Some 550,000 demonstrators initially took to the streets for largely peaceful protests, according to the source material.
Police arrested approximately 2,400 people, according to France's interior ministry. About 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, with seven suffering serious injuries, the ministry reported.
Rioters dressed in black and wearing masks and balaclavas set fires to cars and buildings in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities. Widespread looting occurred in Paris, Marseille and Lille. In Limoges, rioters set fire to the ornate 19th century city hall on Saturday, destroying its clock tower and roof. Clashes with police and looting continued at a smaller scale on Sunday in parts of Paris and Lyon, with tear gas, stun grenades, bottles and rocks deployed or thrown, according to the AFP news agency.
Shopkeepers surveyed damage early Sunday morning. One resident near Limoges city hall told the BBC, "This is very upsetting. Harming heritage buildings just because you are angry at the government is selfish, I think. It's hurting everybody."
Student protests that began last month escalated significantly on Saturday after being joined by trade union members and other anti-government groups. France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said "several thousand far-left individuals" were determined to target public buildings and confront police. He said "delinquents who looted and ransacked numerous businesses" later joined the unrest.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the hard-left La France Insoumise party, criticized police handling and called them "specialists in organised chaos." Marine Le Pen, leader of the hard-right National Rally, condemned the "exploitation" of anger "by political forces that encourage violence."
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu planned to hold a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday. Macron said local prefects and mayors would draft measures to protect shops and civic buildings, and promised "full transparency" over police response.