Macron denounces 'unbridled violence' after riots across France

· Politics · France

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Sunday after nationwide cost-of-living and education protests turned into some of the worst unrest in years. Nearly 2,400 people were arrested and about 1,000 police wounded, the interior ministry said, while roughly 1,500 businesses were damaged and a historic town hall in Limoges was torched. Officials put Saturday's turnout at about 550,000, with organisers counting 800,000. Macron blamed "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals" and vowed an uncompromising response, but stopped short of a state of emergency or curfew. Fresh clashes erupted in Paris on Sunday around Republique square. US President Trump said "France is burning" and blamed immigration, while business leaders called for order.

Why it matters：The unrest tests France's security response and feeds Europe's broader wave of cost-of-living protests, with political consequences for the government and the far right.

Key points

  • Interior ministry: nearly 2,400 arrests and about 1,000 police wounded.
  • About 1,500 businesses damaged; Limoges town hall was set alight.
  • Macron promised full transparency on the security response but no state of emergency.

Sources (original reporting)

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