In brief
President Emmanuel Macron delivered a televised appeal for calm after two hundred and fifty thousand people—alongside sporadic rioters—demonstrated across France on Saturday. The protests, driven by soaring fuel costs, inflation and deteriorating public services, turned into looting in Brussels‑style cities such as Paris, Marseille and Lille. Macron sharply condemned the violence, promising justice for those who vandalised property while stressing the legitimacy of the protestors’ demands. Police reported 2,400 arrests and injuries to more than a thousand officers, who faced tear gas and water cannons. The government has pledged full transparency on its security response and reiterated its commitment to protect local businesses and infrastructure amid the turmoil.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for calm and admonished that riots across the country must not spiral out of control.
Speaking from the Élysée Palace, he declared that France felt a wave of anger and shame after Saturday’s major day of protests devolved into widespread looting and property destruction.
An estimated 550,000 demonstrators marched peacefully nationwide to protest the soaring cost of fuel, the rising cost of living and the erosion of public services, notably schools.
Macron differentiated between legitimate demands made by citizens and the actions of those who “destroyed, smashed and looted”. He warned that no form of unbridled violence would be tolerated and that offenders would face justice.
State‑led police responses included tear gas and water cannons, with riot police reported to have struck protesters with batons in several cities. Approximately 2,400 people were arrested, and a ministry report recorded about 1,000 officers injured, seven of them seriously.
In a bid to protect local commerce and residential areas, Macron announced that prefects and mayors across the nation would collaborate closely. He also promised full transparency regarding the police’s tactics and deployment during the unrest.
