The key facts

  • The Bishops' Conference of France condemned 'unacceptable violence' during the October 17 protests
  • According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, about 550,000 people took part in 110 demonstrations, including 110,000 in Paris; around 400 arrests
  • A peace march in Lyon involving Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities was postponed at the prefecture's request

Statement by the bishops

The Standing Council of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of France on Monday, October 19, published a statement condemning the 'unacceptable violence' that accompanied the demonstrations held across the country over the weekend. The bishops expressed solidarity with the victims and the owners of looted shops, reporting that police officers were attacked and injured, shops were looted, public facilities were damaged and buildings of state institutions were desecrated. 'These scenes of unrest plunged the country into shock, fear and despair, raising many questions about the root causes of this crisis,' the statement said. The bishops urged people not to succumb to the 'spiral of deadly violence' and expressed hope that 'legitimate demands will be heard' and that peace will return through dialogue and respect for justice.

Reaction of the archbishops

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and president of the bishops' conference, also called for an end to the violence, Vatican News reports. In a statement on the website of the Marseille archdiocese, he listed looted shops, vandalised churches, a desecrated town hall, a ransacked police station and attacks on law enforcement officers, expressing solidarity with the victims and traders. Archbishop of Lyon Olivier de Germay condemned what happened, saying the events went beyond demonstrations in which legitimate grievances can be expressed. He described the scene in Lyon as 'unacceptable clashes, hatred, destruction and looting' and called such a path 'a dead end that can only lead to further injustice and division'.

Postponement of the peace march and scale of the protests

The Diocese of Lyon said the prefecture had asked to postpone the peace march organised jointly with Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities because of the violence surrounding the demonstrations. According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, on October 17 about 550,000 people took part in 110 demonstrations across France, including 110,000 in Paris; around 400 people were detained nationwide.