President Emmanuel Macron denounced the violence that followed nationwide protests over the cost of living in a televised address on Sunday. He stopped short of declaring a state of emergency or imposing a curfew.
“Tonight, we all feel anger and shame,” Macron said, as authorities reported nearly 2,400 arrests. One demonstrator has died and about 1,000 police officers and gendarmes have been injured.
More than half a million people marched in scores of French cities on Saturday. The protests brought together a month-long student movement and wider frustration over rising prices.
Anger over conditions in schools has also fed the unrest, along with accusations that the government has done too little to address everyday hardship.
Read More: Tear Gas and Burning Bins as Students in France Extend School Blockades
Much of the demonstrations passed peacefully, but clashes broke out again as night fell. In Paris, police fired tear gas and stun grenades at hundreds of people who gathered in a square after calls on social media for a gathering that authorities had not approved.
Bottles and rocks were thrown at officers, and shops were looted around Republique square, where anti-riot units were deployed for a second day. In Lyon, police stopped young people who tried to smash the windows of a luxury clothing store.
Images of burning town halls drew international attention went viral across the internet. Macron drew a sharp line between protesters with “legitimate demands” and those who destroyed and looted property.
He promised the government would be “uncompromising” toward “agitators from ultra-left fringe groups” and “numerous delinquents.” Those responsible, he said, “must pay.”
Read More: Nearly 2,400 Arrested as French Cost Protests Turn Violent
The president said senior officials would work with mayors to protect towns, public buildings and businesses, and pledged support for affected shopkeepers. He also promised “full transparency” over how security forces handled the protests.
Pressure is building on the government as some in the opposition have called for Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, to be sacked. Macron said he had asked Nunez to “draw all necessary lessons,” particularly on intelligence gathering and anticipating unrest, and expects “clear answers.”
A far-right leader has gone further and urged Macron himself to step down The unrest has also drawn foreign comment. United States President Donald Trump blamed immigration for what he called a burning France in a post on Truth Social, and urged the country to close its borders.
