PNN – The French Interior Ministry has announced the arrest of 1,800 people during fresh protests across the country.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network citing the newspaper Handelsblatt, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that 1,800 individuals have been arrested during the recent nationwide protests—unrest that has turned violent in many areas.
Police authorities reported that 855 people were arrested in Paris alone. The Interior Minister stated that 500 police officers and firefighters have been injured nationwide, though he noted that these are preliminary figures. He added that investigations are underway to prosecute those responsible for the violence, property damage, and looting.
Severe damage has occurred in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Nice, and other cities. In Limoges, the historic town hall—a registered building—has been severely damaged.
Nunez stated that this represents a massive loss, particularly for the hundreds of business owners who have been affected.
Visibly moved and in tears after the municipal building was set ablaze, the Mayor of Limoges lamented: A municipal building is the home of the Republic and of public service! Such sheer stupidity—such intense hatred toward our flag and our institutions—is simply unacceptable!
Limoges was once considered a quiet provincial city in rural central France. Now, however—from Pau in the south to Valenciennes in the north—riots and fires are breaking out amidst the protests. In many locations, protesters have attacked symbols of the state. Targets have included police stations in Brest and Marseille, municipal buildings in Angers and Calais, a prefecture office in Bordeaux, and a branch of the tourist office in Lyon.
The unrest on Saturday followed nationwide demonstrations involving over half a million high school and university students, union members, farmers, and “Yellow Vest” protesters. These marches—which were largely peaceful—saw an extraordinary turnout, three times higher than anticipated; organizers even cited a figure of 800,000 participants. This marked a political success following three weeks of student protests. The “Yellow Vest” movement, active since 2018, also joined these demonstrations.
Sébastien Lecornu, a French government minister, rejected the notion that the government is losing control of the situation. Lecornu primarily blamed the far-left for the unrest, claiming that rioters and looters had joined their ranks. According to him, they looted dozens of shops and boutiques, particularly in Marseille and Paris.
Defending himself and police authorities, Lecornu asserted that these “nebulous” far-left groups acted in a manner that was “highly organized, methodical, and extremely violent.” He noted that 150 police officers had been injured, but did not mention the number of casualties on the opposing side.
The Prime Minister also launched an explicit attack on Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s party, “France Unbowed” (LFI), stating that it plays a “significant role” within the far-left.
Mélenchon hit back at the Prime Minister, exclaiming, “What a pathetic politician!” He alleged that Lecornu—an “accomplice” of Emmanuel Macron—is responsible for this chaos, whether due to incompetence or a deliberate attempt to position his side as the party of order and authority.
In response, Lecornu declared: To all those who are using this violence as a warm-up for the presidential election, I say this: we will not be intimidated.
In France, high school students have already announced that they intend to continue their protests after the autumn break.
French President Emmanuel Macron has scheduled an address to the nation for this evening, Sunday.