Macron calls for calm after protests turn to riots across France
The French president urged order after Saturday’s marches over prices and public services gave way to looting and fires in several cities.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for ‘calm and order’ in a televised address from the Élysée Palace in Paris on Sunday, 18 October, after protests across France over prices and public services turned into riots and looting the previous day. Police had arrested about 2,400 people, according to the BBC.
Macron said ‘we all feel anger and shame’ and urged a distinction between protesters’ ‘legitimate demands’ and those who destroyed property. He said ‘nothing justifies’ the violence and that those responsible would face justice. The BBC said about 550,000 people joined marches that were largely peaceful before violence broke out.
Damage and arrests after Saturday’s protests
The BBC reported fires and looting in Paris, Marseille and other cities. Reuters reporting published by The National described shops ransacked and public buildings attacked across France. It reported that one demonstrator died after suffering a cardiac arrest during protests in Paris.
The National reported that Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said several hundred shops were damaged on Saturday. Carrefour chief executive Alexandre Bompard told BFMTV that 50 of the retailer’s shops were damaged, including 20 that were looted, according to The National. In Limoges, the city’s mayor said its town hall was largely destroyed in an arson attack.
The reports gave different counts of injured officers: the BBC cited the interior ministry as saying about 1,000 were injured on Saturday, seven seriously, while The National reported more than 600, citing the interior minister. It was not immediately clear why the figures differed. The National also reported more than 2,000 arrests before Macron’s address.
Macron promises scrutiny of police response
Macron said local prefects and mayors would work together to protect shops and buildings. He also promised ‘full transparency’ over the police response. The BBC reported that officers used tear gas and water cannon over the weekend and that riot police were seen striking people with batons.
The demonstrations grew from youth protests that began last month over school conditions and teacher shortages in working-class suburbs, according to The National. They broadened into anger over inequality, public spending cuts and living costs. NewsJaws previously covered France’s promise of 3,000 extra teachers as an initial response to the student protests.
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Sources and context
- Macron calls for calm in France and warns rioting must not escalateBBC News
- France in flames: Emmanuel Macron to address nation after worst unrest in yearsThe National, reporting credited to Reuters
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.