The key facts

  • Fire destroyed the 19th-century Limoges city hall during the October 18 protests
  • Almost 2,400 people detained, about 1,000 police officers and gendarmes injured
  • Macron blamed far-left activists and ordered the protection of public buildings

Fire at Limoges City Hall

On Saturday, flames engulfed the city hall building of Limoges in central France, built in the 19th century. The roof collapsed and the building was left practically destroyed. The fire broke out during nationwide demonstrations against the rising cost of living and poor conditions in schools. The scale of the destruction was shown in drone footage published by Euronews.

Attacks on town halls and detentions

According to Euronews, in several cities groups of masked people set fire to and attacked other town halls. Almost 2,400 people were detained, and about a thousand police officers and gendarmes were injured.

Estimates of attendance

Estimates of the number of demonstrators differ: authorities speak of approximately 550,000 participants, while organizers say 800,000.

Reaction of the authorities

On Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron spoke of 'anger' and 'shame' in society. He assigned a significant share of responsibility for the violence to far-left activists and instructed prefects, together with mayors, to ensure the protection of public buildings. According to Euronews, if necessary, some rallies may be banned.