French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation at 8 PM Paris time (2 PM ET) on Sunday, after Saturday's nationwide cost-of-living protests turned into riots, looting and arson in several cities, the Élysée Palace announced. His office said he will first meet Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and the ministers concerned at the palace at 5:30 PM Paris time (11:30 AM ET).
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on X that about 1,800 people were arrested across France on Saturday and that more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured. "Protesting is a fundamental right. Sowing disorder through violence, in a coordinated way, is not," Nuñez wrote, adding that the Republic "will yield nothing" to those trying to impose disorder and violence.
Paris police made a record 855 of those arrests, according to Deutsche Welle. A French shopkeepers' federation told Reuters that about 1,500 shops were hit nationwide, many of them looted. In Limoges, rioters set fire to the 143-year-old city hall, and Reuters reported the building was largely destroyed. Reuters also reported that one protester died in Paris after suffering a cardiac arrest during the demonstrations.
The interior ministry put turnout at 550,000 people, most of whom marched peacefully. Lecornu blamed "ultra-left" groups joined by criminals. Limoges Mayor Guillaume Guérin told BFM TV that "for an hour, I didn't have a single national police officer to protect city hall."
The mayors of Paris, Lyon and Marseille, who have criticized how police were deployed, are due to meet Lecornu, Reuters reported. The Élysée has not said what Macron will announce.
Photo: Emmanuel Macron, official portrait 2025 (Wikimedia Commons)
Never miss a story — join us on Telegram: https://t.me/profilopoliticsnews