Macron vows rioters will pay after worst unrest in years

President Emmanuel Macron promised in a televised address on Sunday, October 18, that the people who smashed and looted French cities would pay for it. "Tonight, we all feel anger and shame," he said. "Those who have destroyed must pay," he added, and called the violence "unprecedented" and "unbridled". The speech came the day after cost-of-living protests turned into riots. The Interior Ministry said 2,397 people were arrested on Saturday and 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously.cnbc.com+1

Macron also promised "full transparency" over how security forces handled the protests, after criticism that police were not properly prepared. He said he had asked Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to "draw all necessary lessons," especially on intelligence gathering and planning ahead. He blamed "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals".lemonde.fr+1

A day of fires and looting

More than half a million people marched on Saturday. The protests brought together a month-long student movement and wider anger over rising prices and declining public services. One demonstrator died of cardiac arrest in Paris, and new clashes broke out in the capital on Sunday. Rioters set fire to the historic town hall in Limoges and attacked shops and public buildings in Marseille, Lyon and Grenoble. Paris police reported a record 855 arrests in the capital region. A retail trade group said about 1,500 shops were damaged.reuters.com+2

Blame ahead of 2027

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed the "ultra-left" for the violence. Far-right frontrunner Marine Le Pen accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon's France Unbowed party of "legitimizing violence." She said protesters had "legitimate social demands" but were caught between the government's austerity measures and "insurrection activists." Mélenchon had urged supporters to join the marches. He said blaming him was an attempt to weaken his presidential bid, and accused Macron of "letting the situation deteriorate". He also told demonstrators that looting was "contrary to our methods".politico.eu+2

Pressure on Nuñez

Politicians on both the left and the far right called for Nuñez to resign. Green leader Marine Tondelier said he had "clearly underestimated" what was coming and had left "entire cities" to the rioters. A National Rally spokesperson called him "completely incompetent" at handling the chaos. Nuñez gave his "total support" to the security forces and did not respond directly to the calls to step down.lcp.fr+1

National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet plans to propose a parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday. It would cover the violence and any "potential shortcomings" in the policing strategy. The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon have asked to meet the prime minister, citing "the extent of the damage and the seriousness of the situation".abcnews.com+1