More than 1,800 people have been arrested across France after Saturday’s protests against the cost of living, which in many cities turned into arson and looting, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on Sunday, 18 October. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured.
Nuñez stressed that the tally is preliminary. According to the French prosecutor’s office, 517 people remain in custody in Paris alone: 346 adults and 171 minors. Prosecutors said the arrests mainly concern acts of vandalism and handling stolen goods. The Paris police, meanwhile, spoke of a “record” 855 people detained in Paris during the protests (according to France 24). The two figures may differ because one refers to people arrested and the other to those still in custody.
Scale of the Protests and Saturday's Toll
Demonstrations took place on Saturday, 17 October, in Paris and other cities. According to Nuñez, about 550,000 people took part across the country, including 110,000 in the capital. Organisers claim more than 800,000 participants (according to CBC). Most marches were reportedly peaceful, with arson and robberies occurring on their fringes. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported on Saturday evening 1,200 arrests and 150 injured officers – the numbers rose sharply within a day.
The most widely reported incident was the fire at the historic town hall in Limoges. Masked assailants first set fire to a city guard vehicle, smashed windows and entered the building (according to PAP). The fire spread to a wing of the building and its roof, and the head of the Haute-Vienne department assessed that the structure is largely lost. In Saint-Étienne, a 17-year-old boy lost a hand after, according to local French authorities, a stun grenade used by police exploded (according to France 24).
President Emmanuel Macron vowed to pursue the perpetrators and thanked the security forces:
He wrote that those who destroyed prefectures and shops and looted town halls “will be pursued and punished”.
Dispute Over Blame
Nuñez pointed to groups “incited by the far left” who attacked police. The leader of the Greens demanded his resignation. She accused him of leaving the cities in the hands of bandits and said police had attacked peaceful demonstrators (according to France 24).
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally blamed the left and the “macronists”. Le Pen herself wrote on X that the far left led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon had taken over legitimate social demands. France elects a president in spring 2027, and Le Pen leads in the polls (according to PAP). Former president François Hollande, meanwhile, called for “serious negotiations” with youth organisations and trade unions.
On Sunday, Donald Trump also weighed in:
“France is burning! Immigration of people from a completely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has destroyed this once magnificent country. Close the borders and take control before it is too late!”
— Donald Trump on Truth Social, 18 October (original)
Trump did not provide any data on the background of the rioters. French authorities describe the protests as being about the cost of living and cuts to public services, not a migration conflict. Earlier in October, protests by high school students also took place in the country, which according to Wikipedia likewise ended in mass arrests.
What Comes Next and What It Means
Lecornu convened a government crisis group for Sunday evening to discuss the effects on the economy and trade. For travellers to France there are, for now, no official warnings in these materials, but disruptions and closed shops may occur in the centres of large cities. Poles on the ground should follow the announcements of local services and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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