France protests intensify as Macron prepares to address nation after Trump’s ‘burning’ remark

Violence spreads across France

Masked groups set fires and attacked public buildings during Saturday’s demonstrations, authorities said. In Limoges, flames badly damaged the 19th-century City Hall, bringing down its roof. Damage was also visible around Paris’ Place de la République, where broken glass and displaced cobblestones remained the next morning. Reports described looting in central Paris and other cities, including Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Rennes, Strasbourg, Grenoble and Nice.

Arrests and injuries reported

Police said at least 1,800 people were arrested nationwide after demonstrators clashed with officers and shops were looted. Paris police reported 855 arrests in the capital region. Authorities estimated that about 550,000 people joined protests across France, while organizers put the number at about 800,000. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, Nuñez said.

Paris police reported that one person died of a heart attack, without giving further details. The Paris prosecutor’s office said it was investigating.

Macron plans national address

Macron was due to meet senior government officials on Sunday afternoon before speaking to the nation at 8pm. On Saturday, he said on social media that people responsible for attacks and looting would face prosecution and punishment.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote on X that protest is a fundamental right, but violence is not. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Saturday evening that around 1,200 people had been arrested, a lower figure than the later nationwide total reported by police.

The demonstrations began last month at high schools in poor northern suburbs of Paris. Anger about teacher absences and poor facilities broadened into a nationwide movement focused on inequality, public spending and living costs.

Protests reach city halls

Large crowds assembled in Paris and Marseille before official marches, and demonstrations later spread across the country. In Marseille, masked protesters forced their way into the town hall after ramming its doors with security barriers.

Attacks on town halls were also reported in Grenoble and Lille. The article’s headline refers to Trump saying France is burning, but the body provides no further details about his remark.