Hundreds of thousands march over cost of living

Saturday's demonstrations brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets across France. Authorities counted about 550,000 participants, while organisers put the figure at about 800,000.

The marches were called by a labour union, student organisations and activists who hope to revive the 'yellow vest' movement that emerged in 2018. The scale of the arrests that followed was near the almost 2,000 recorded nationwide during a single day of yellow vest protests in December 2018.

Violence, fires and mass arrests

Police arrested more than 2,300 people over the weekend after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops. In Paris, police said unauthorised marches formed across the city centre, and by late afternoon a new phase began with the arrival of large numbers of people whose sole aim was to steal and loot.

The damage extended beyond the capital:

• •In Limoges, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse and nearly destroying the building. Haute-Vienne prefect Maurice Barate said 'radical troublemakers' broke in while officials and members of the public were inside and deliberately set the fire, calling it an extremely serious and unspeakable act.
• •In Marseille, protesters briefly forced their way into City Hall's lobby and hooded people damaged a police station; in Lyon, a fire broke out in a tourist office.
• •Paris police said 855 people were arrested in the capital region, and the city's prosecutor's office said 557 remained in police custody.
• •One person died of a heart attack, Paris police said in a statement without providing details; the Paris prosecutor's office is investigating.

Political reactions

In his address to the nation, Macron warned that those who looted would have to pay back for the damage and that those who sought to bring down the Republic would be held accountable. He blamed the 'unrestrained violence' on insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups joined by numerous criminals.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X that the right to protest is fundamental, but that sowing disorder through violence is not, citing the looting of hundreds of businesses in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticised the government as 'exhausted, disoriented and seemingly incapable of doing anything other than commenting on its own powerlessness'. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who joined the Paris march on Saturday, accused Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu of 'playing with fire', saying that by banking on degradation he had only succeeded in uniting all youths and workers' unions. Mélenchon added that those who share his fight have no business in looting or destruction.

Abroad, US President Donald Trump posted 'France is burning!' on Truth Social, linking the unrest to immigration and urging France to close its borders and take control before it is too late. French authorities and police have not linked immigrants to the rioting and have attributed some of the violence to radical far-left groups and looters.

What comes next

Macron held an emergency meeting with senior government officials on Sunday, a day after masked groups set fires and attacked public buildings including city halls. Hundreds of protesters gathered again Sunday at the Place de la République in Paris amid a heavy police presence, and officers used tear gas as tensions flared.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire wrote in an open letter that the scale of the damage is considerable and unprecedented, and that Paris must remain a city of freedoms where people can work and run businesses safely. The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon have requested a meeting with the prime minister in the coming days given the extent of the damage and the seriousness of the situation.