French President Emmanuel Macron called for "calm and order" after student-led protests against rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services escalated into rioting and looting across multiple cities on Saturday and continued at reduced scale on Sunday.
About 550,000 people participated in largely peaceful demonstrations, but groups of rioters, some wearing black clothing and masks, set fires to cars and buildings in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other towns. Police arrested approximately 2,400 people, according to France's interior ministry. About 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven seriously.
In a national address from the Élysée Palace, Macron distinguished between "legitimate demands" of protesters and "those who destroyed, smashed and looted", saying "nothing justifies" the "unbridled" violence. He warned rioters not to "escalate" and said those involved would face justice. The president stated that local prefects and mayors would draft measures to protect shops and civic buildings, and pledged "full transparency" over police conduct.
The disorder ranks among the worst in modern French history. In Limoges, a 19th-century city hall was gutted by fire started by rioters, its clock tower and roof collapsing. Shopkeepers in Paris picked through debris and broken glass on Sunday morning. Tear gas, water cannon and riot police with batons were deployed against crowds over the weekend.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez attributed violence to "several thousand far-left individuals" who targeted public buildings and confronted police, followed by "delinquents who looted and ransacked numerous businesses". Hard-left party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized police and government officials on social media for "organised chaos", while hard-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen condemned the "exploitation" of anger "by political forces that encourage violence".
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will hold a crisis cabinet meeting Monday. The unrest occurs as France prepares for an April presidential election that could pit hard-right against hard-left candidates, reflecting deep political divisions in the country.