French President Emmanuel Macron called for "calm and order" after protests against rising fuel prices and the cost of living escalated into rioting and looting across major cities on Saturday and into Sunday.
About 550,000 demonstrators initially took to the streets in largely peaceful protests. The unrest turned violent when groups dressed in black and wearing masks set fires to cars and buildings, looted shops, and clashed with police in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Lille. 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.
In Limoges, rioters set fire to the ornate 19th century city hall, destroying its clock tower and roof. Shopkeepers in Paris and other cities swept up debris and broken glass on Sunday morning as smaller-scale looting and clashes with police continued.
In his address from the Élysée Palace, Macron said "nothing justifies" the "unbridled" violence. He drew a distinction between "legitimate demands" of protesters and "those who destroyed, smashed and looted", warning rioters not to "escalate". He stated those responsible would face justice. Macron said local prefects and mayors would draft measures to protect shops and civic buildings, and promised "full transparency" over the police response to demonstrations.
France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez attributed the violence to "several thousand far-left individuals" targeting public buildings and police, followed by "delinquents who looted and ransacked numerous businesses". Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused police and government officials of "complete incompetence" and called them "specialists in organised chaos". Marine Le Pen, leader of the hard-right National Rally, condemned the "exploitation" of public anger "by political forces that encourage violence".
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will hold a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday. The unrest occurs as France prepares for an April election that could pit the hard-right against the hard-left.