French government under fire after weekend of widespread violence.

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1106 EAT on Monday 19 October 2026

France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is holding an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday to assess a weekend of violence and looting across the country, in what have been described as some of the worst scenes of public disorder in modern French history.

More than half a million people, mostly peaceful protesters, took to the streets on Saturday to demonstrate against rising living costs and declining access to quality public services, including state education. However, the protests descended into violence after groups of black-clad, masked activists and vandals appeared.

An estimated 1,500 shops and businesses were looted or damaged. Riot police fired tear gas and used water cannon against crowds, while officers were seen striking people with batons in several locations. France’s Interior Ministry said about 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven of them seriously.

Rumours had circulated that President Emmanuel Macron might impose a temporary curfew in parts of the country or declare a state of emergency to restore calm amid growing tensions.

Instead, Macron addressed the nation in a televised speech on Sunday, calling for national unity and assuring the public that those responsible for the violence would be held accountable.

Macron’s speech has drawn widespread criticism on social media and from political opponents, who say it lacked concrete measures to address the crisis.

Questions remain over how those responsible for vandalism and rioting will be held accountable.

There are also concerns about how France’s towns and cities will be better protected, particularly as new mass demonstrations have been announced for the coming weeks.

The government also faces questions over how businesses affected by the looting and destruction will be compensated.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear when authorities will begin dialogue with student and teacher organisations over concerns about education.

On Sunday, Sophie Binet, secretary-general of the CGT trade union, accused Macron of failing to address students’ concerns, the cost-of-living crisis and the declining quality of public services in France.

Macron appears to have handed responsibility for addressing the crisis to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. However, Lecornu and his interior minister have faced criticism over what opponents describe as inadequate preparations and insufficient police deployment ahead of Saturday’s scheduled protests across the country.

Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of France’s National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, said she wanted to launch an inquiry into what happened over the weekend and why.

“Things are dark in the city of light,” read graffiti daubed in red paint on a wall beside a row of shattered shops in the French capital on Sunday night. The phrase was a pointed reference to Paris, often known as the City of Light.

Macron is widely seen in France as a lame-duck president, with his term nearing its end and a fiercely contested race to succeed him underway ahead of the presidential election scheduled for six months’ time.

Marine Le Pen, who represents the anti-immigration nationalist right, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a leading figure on the anti-capitalist left, are seeking to strengthen their political positions as the country grapples with mounting tensions.

The political uncertainty is compounded by a deeply divided parliament, paralysed by divisions among three competing political blocs.

France is also facing mounting financial pressures, with investors demanding action to bring its soaring public debt under control. However, the government fears that cuts to public services and welfare could trigger further public anger and send more people onto the streets.

“What now? What comes next? Is our country broken?” These are questions increasingly being heard across France.

Saturday’s events have shocked and unsettled people across the country. Images of tear-gassed towns, looting and burning public buildings have fuelled concerns about public order and the country’s political stability.

-BBC

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