Macron vows action against rioters after widespread unrest in France

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French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed that those responsible for violence and looting in cities across France will face consequences following the country’s worst unrest in years.

In a televised address on Sunday, October 18, Macron described the violence as “unprecedented” and said those who caused destruction must pay. His remarks came a day after cost-of-living protests escalated into riots.

According to the Interior Ministry, 2,397 people were arrested on Saturday, while 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, including seven seriously.

More than half a million people joined Saturday’s demonstrations, which brought together a month-long student movement and broader public anger over rising prices and declining public services. One demonstrator died of cardiac arrest in Paris.

Rioters set fire to the historic town hall in Limoges and attacked shops and public buildings in Marseille, Lyon and Grenoble. Police reported 855 arrests in the Paris region, while a retail trade group said around 1,500 shops were damaged.

Macron promised full transparency over the security forces’ response and asked Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to review intelligence gathering and advance planning. He blamed radical far-left groups and criminals for fuelling the unrest.

Nuñez faced calls to resign from politicians on both the left and the far right over the handling of the protests. He expressed full support for security forces but did not directly respond to the demands.

Meanwhile, political leaders traded accusations over responsibility for the violence ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen criticised the France Unbowed party, while its leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, accused Macron of allowing the situation to deteriorate.

National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet plans to propose a parliamentary inquiry into the violence and possible shortcomings in policing. The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon have also requested a meeting with the prime minister to discuss the scale of the damage.