Macron expresses 'anger and shame' after 2,400 arrested in violent France protests

Macron expresses 'anger and shame' after 2,400 arrested in violent France protests French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken of "anger" and "shame" as nationwide protests in France over the cost of living crisis and school conditions turned violent, resulting in at least 2,400 arrests across Paris and other cities. French President Emmanuel Macron has voiced the nation's "anger" and "shame" over sweeping protests against soaring living costs and deteriorating school conditions, which have led to at least 2,400 arrests. Mr Macron echoed fellow government officials in attributing much of the violence to far-left activists, accusing them of targeting police and public buildings in a bid to stoke disorder. "Those who looted will have to pay back for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable," Mr Macron declared in a televised address to the country. He condemned "unrestrained violence" by "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals". Mr Macron had earlier convened an emergency meeting with senior government figures, a day after masked groups set buildings ablaze and stormed public properties, including town halls, across several cities. He revealed he had directed prefects to collaborate with mayors to safeguard public buildings and businesses over the coming weeks, including imposing protest bans where necessary. In the central town of Limoges, fire tore through the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to cave in and leaving the building on the verge of total destruction. Hundreds of demonstrators once again gathered on Sunday at the Place de la Republique in Paris, amid a significant police presence. Officers deployed tear gas as sporadic tensions flared across the area, with small clusters of individuals attempting to set bicycles and bins alight. "The right to protest is a fundamental right. Deliberately and collectively sowing disorder through violence is not," interior minister Laurent Nunez wrote on X, pointing to the ransacking of hundreds of businesses across cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. Official figures put Saturday's march attendance at approximately 550,000, while organisers claimed the figure was closer to 800,000. Protesters heeded calls from a trade union, student groups and activists seeking to reignite the "yellow vest" movement, which first emerged in 2018 as a demonstration against social inequality. Large-scale demonstrations in France are frequently tarnished by violence on the periphery of otherwise peaceful marches, resulting in confrontations with police. The number of arrests reported on Sunday came close to the nearly 2,000 recorded across the country during a single day of yellow-vest protests back in December 2018. One individual suffered a fatal heart attack, according to a statement from Paris police, though no further details were provided. The Paris prosecutors' office confirmed it had launched an investigation. Around Paris' Place de la République on Sunday morning, the aftermath of the unrest was plain to see, with uprooted cobblestones, smashed shopfronts and shards of broken glass littering the streets. Reports of looting and damage emerged from around the square and several other tourist and shopping districts in the city centre. Paris police confirmed 855 arrests in the capital region, with the city's prosecutor's office stating that 557 people remained in custody. "I am actually stunned by the level of destruction and violence that was expressed," said Marie Peyreigne, a 57 year old government employee, as she tried to make sense of the chaos that had unfolded. Surveying the wreckage, scores of Parisians photographed the partially demolished base of the central monument at Place de la Republique - a statue of Marianne, an enduring symbol of France. Jean Foissy, 74, said he had intended to join the demonstration but encountered "a wall of riot police and fires everywhere", and turned back. "I was very scared," he said. "I've been a Parisian since I was born, so when I got here, it almost made me want to cry because I find it so bad, it hurts me." Margaux Eude, 26, said she backs the protest movement but "didn't think it would escalate like this". "It's the troublemakers who came, and it breaks my heart because it delegitimises the movement", she said. Political figures across the divide moved swiftly to exploit the fallout from Saturday's unrest for political gain, with one eye firmly on next spring's presidential election. Far-right leader and presidential contender Marine Le Pen rounded on far-left rival Jean-Luc Melenchon, who had taken part in the Paris march. "Looting, ransacking, destroying and attacking law enforcement: Rioters have again spoiled the October 17 demonstrations for the protection of purchasing power," Ms Le Pen wrote on X. Her running mate, Jordan Bardella, said on X that "if the silent majority of French decide it, we will re-establish order for the long-term". Mr Melenchon, for his part, exchanged sharp words with the prime minister, accusing Mr Lecornu of "playing with fire" and claiming that "by banking on degradation, you have only succeeded in uniting all youths and workers' unions". Mr Melenchon stated that "my message is clear: those who share our fight have no business in looting or destruction". US President Donald Trump posted "France is burning!" on his Truth Social platform, apparently linking the unrest to "the immigration of people from an entirely different world". "Close your borders and take control, before it is too late!" he wrote. French authorities and police have drawn no connection between immigrants and the rioting, repeatedly attributing elements of the violence to "radical far-left groups" and opportunistic looters. Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire announced the establishment of an emergency unit to help businesses evaluate the extent of the damage. "The scale of the damage is considerable and unprecedented," Mr Gregoire wrote in an open letter. "Paris is a city of freedoms, debate and demonstrations. It must remain so. But it must also be a city where everyone can work and run a business safely." The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon, France's three biggest cities, called for an urgent meeting with the prime minister in the coming days "given the extent of the damage and the seriousness of the situation." In the southern coastal city of Marseille, demonstrators temporarily stormed the entrance hall of City Hall, while a group wearing hoods and masks vandalised a police station. In Lyon, flames erupted within a tourist office. In Limoges, a band of "radical troublemakers" broke into City Hall while elected officials, staff, security personnel and members of the public were inside, Maurice Barate, prefect of the Haute-Vienne region, said. "Despite the presence of so many people, they deliberately set the building on fire. It is an extremely serious and unspeakable act," he said. In eastern France, the Mulhouse prosecutor's office said an investigation has been launched after a 17 year old girl sustained injuries during the protests and lost an eye. On Saturday, another investigation was launched after a young demonstrator lost a hand in Saint-Etienne. The injuries emerge as police face intense criticism over their deployment of grenades and other riot-control weapons during recent demonstrations.