Macron says violent groups will pay as at least 1,800 are arrested after protests in France
After a Saturday march of about 550,000 by official count, Macron addressed the nation and condemned what he called “unrestrained” violence.
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Sunday, October 18, after a chaotic Saturday when demonstrations across France turned into arson, looting and clashes with police. According to Associated Press reports, about 550,000 people took part in Saturday's protests on October 17 by the authorities' estimate, while the organizers put the figure at around 800,000.
The number of arrests is high. At least 1,800 people were arrested across the country, and later reports cite about 2,400. In the Paris region alone 855 people were arrested, 557 of whom remained in police custody. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured. One person died of a heart attack, and prosecutors opened an investigation; Paris police gave no details.
The damage is considerable. In Limoges the 19th-century city hall was set on fire and its roof collapsed. In Marseille protesters entered the lobby of the city hall and damaged a police station, and in Lyon a fire broke out in a tourist office. Hundreds of businesses were looted in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. Around Place de la République in Paris, cobblestones were torn up, storefronts shattered and the base of the Marianne statue partly dismantled.
There were also serious injuries that are being investigated. In Mulhouse a 17-year-old girl lost an eye, and in Saint-Étienne a young protester lost a hand. Prosecutors opened separate investigations, and the circumstances are yet to be established. Until the investigations are complete, no conclusions should be drawn about what or who caused the injuries.
In his address Macron said he shared the public's “anger” and “shame”, that looters would have to pay for the damage, and that those who sought to bring down the Republic would be held accountable. He blamed “insurrectionist elements” from radical far-left groups, together with criminals, for the violence. Prefects were ordered to work with mayors to protect public buildings and businesses, including by banning protests where necessary. Nuñez added that the right to protest is a fundamental right, but that deliberately causing disorder through violence is not.
Political reactions are divided, and France is in a pre-election period, with presidential elections due next spring. Marine Le Pen, according to the Associated Press, called the government “exhausted and disoriented”. Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu of “playing with fire”. US President Donald Trump posted “France is burning!” and linked the unrest to immigration, although French authorities have not drawn such a link.
What is not known? It is unclear how many of those arrested will be charged, or how the line falls between peaceful demonstrators and the organized groups behind the damage. It is also unknown whether new large protests are expected, or what bans the prefects will issue. Reports link the demonstrations to rising living costs and to students, but the split between cause and trigger will be the subject of analysis for some time.
What does it mean? France now has to protect the freedom to protest and at the same time punish those who burned and looted. That line will shape the political course up to the spring elections.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 19, 2026
