France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez on Monday admitted that police “lost control” in some cities over the weekend as violent protests erupted across the country, while French President Emmanuel Macron called for a review of the police response to the rioting and looting.
Nuñez said there had been a "lack of anticipation" ahead of the demonstrations on Saturday and acknowledged that policing numbers had fallen short in some areas as hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest over, what they say are, underfunded public services and rising cost-of-living pressures. The demonstrations followed weeks of student protests that had also seen some violence.
In the wake of the chaotic scenes, Nuñez offered his resignation to Macron because he "felt responsible” for how things unfolded. Macron refused to accept it, due to “the need for a continuous command of the police,” the Élysée Palace told TIME. Instead, Macron has called for the Interior Ministry to “take all necessary steps to ensure transparency over planning and intelligence failures” and to put an end to the barricades and looting.
As France aims to regain full control of its streets, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has extended local mayors the power to enforce “partial curfews,” in an effort to protect businesses and people. The French government has also vowed to create a fund to financially assist shops that were impacted by the riots.
The Interior Ministry reported that around 550,000 people had taken to the streets on Saturday. A French trade union put the number at over 800,000. Nuñez on Sunday said that more than 2,000 people had been arrested and over 600 police officers and firefighters injured. In Paris, at least 300 businesses were vandalised, Dominique Restino, the head of the Paris chamber of commerce, told BFM television. Alongside the violence in the capital, what started out as peaceful protests in Marseille and Lyon also turned violent as rioters descended. Authorities in Marseille on Monday imposed a temporary ban on public gatherings and demonstrations.
Various buildings and official monuments have been targeted across the country.
A historic town hall in the French city of Limoges was damaged in what appeared to be an arson attack on Saturday. One of the main tourist offices in the city of Lyon was set ablaze. In Bordeaux, the prefect's residence was attacked, according to local authorities.
Macron addressed the nation on Sunday, acknowledging the public’s “anger” and “shame” over the rioting that accompanied the demonstrations. “Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable,” Macron vowed in a televised address.
Throughout September, students across France blockaded schools and demonstrated against, what they say is, a poorly-funded high school system. The protests went nationwide on Oct. 6, when more than 250,000 people took to streets across with teachers, parents, and union activists joining marches.
The demonstrations have drawn comparisons to the May 1968 protests, which were initiated by a student movement and led to millions of workers striking and nearly toppled the government.
Over the weekend, further demonstrations were organized across the country, with some protesters seeking to revive the Yellow Vest movement of 2018, which emerged in response to planned increases in fuel taxes on diesel and gasoline.
In Paris, protesters on Saturday draped a yellow vest over the Marianne statue at the Place de la République. The website of the coordination group described the mobilization as a convergence of student protests and wider economic grievances, bringing together high school and university students, farmers, firefighters, workers, teachers, healthcare workers, climate activists, residents of working-class neighborhoods, and retirees.
France was not alone in dealing with demonstrations over the weekend, as protesters also took to the streets in other European countries.
In Portugal, protesters marched in Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra as they called for better pensions, improved public services, and affirmative government action to combat rising living costs.
In Milan, police clashed with protesters as some threw stones and looted shops during demonstrations against underfunded services and the rising cost of living. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is holding an emergency meeting with security officials on Monday to assess the situation that unfolded. There were further clashes between police and protesters in Bologna and Turin.
Unrest also broke out in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday afternoon, as antifascist activists took to the streets. The demonstrations turned violent, prompting police intervention amid reports of property damage.
