Macron vows prosecutions after 400 arrests at France protests

President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Saturday to prosecute those behind violence during inflation protests that drew about 550,000 people and led to around 400 arrests, Euronews reported on Oct. 17.

The clashes add strain to France’s government before elections due in six months. The CGT union put turnout at 800,000, higher than the Interior Ministry’s figure of about 550,000.

“No room for violence in our Republic. Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished,” Macron wrote on X late Saturday.

Macron said law-enforcement officers were “guarantors of the right to demonstrate” and expressed national support for them. “We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who seek only to bring down our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so,” he added.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu condemned what he called the “violence of extreme intensity” during the day. In a post on X, he said peaceful protest had a place in the Republic, while “Arson, looting, and attacks have no place whatsoever.”

Lecornu attributed violence in several cities to “ultraleft groups” and said other offenders joined to loot and destroy property. Euronews also reported that Lecornu said public money was limited and could not keep paying for damage caused by vandals.

Euronews reported clashes in Paris and other French cities, with police using tear gas and water cannon against masked protesters who threw projectiles and aimed fireworks. Several parked cars were set on fire in Paris, and smoke rose over the centre of the capital.

In Saint-Etienne, a male protester lost a hand because of a police crowd-control grenade, according to a police source cited by AFP. Euronews said a 15-year-old had lost a hand on Oct. 5 during another protest in Lens involving a police stun grenade.

The damage extended beyond Paris. Protesters set fire to a tourist office in Lyon, forced entry into town halls in Marseille and Lille, and entered a police compound in Bordeaux, damaging property before leaving, Euronews reported.

In Limoges, flames reached the roof of the town hall after a group attacked the building following demonstrations. Eyewitnesses cited by Euronews said shops were looted in Paris, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux and Lille, including an Apple store in Lille.

The demonstrations followed weeks of student protests. Atlas360 reported on Oct. 17 that France faced more than 600 cost-of-living protests as a school-based movement widened into a broader dispute over prices, inequality and public services.

Turnout remains disputed between the Interior Ministry and the CGT.

Election pressure

Over the next six months, the checkable political test is whether the violence alters the election campaign to replace Macron. The immediate indicators are party responses, policing decisions and any official count of damage or charges from Saturday’s arrests.

The next observable legal step is the handling of about 400 arrests announced by the Interior Ministry. Macron said those who broke, attacked or looted public and commercial sites would be prosecuted and punished.

A further test is whether student, union and cost-of-living protests continue after Saturday’s clashes. Atlas360 reported on Oct. 17 that the movement had widened from school grievances into a broader debate over France’s social model.

Source: News article, Euronews, Oct. 17; Atlas360 background, Oct. 17-18.