The French government announced that more than a thousand people had been arrested on Saturday during so-called protests over living costs and education funding, which quickly turned into riots, with widespread looting in major cities and arson attacks on government buildings.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Le Cornou, speaking to the media after meeting with riot police in Paris on Saturday evening, said 1,200 people had been arrested so far and at least 150 police and gendarmes had been injured throughout the day.
Earlier in the day, Le Cornu specifically accused the far left of fomenting the riots, saying: “It’s time to choose your side, either the republic or the rioters.”
“Either you are on the side of the republic, which means law enforcement, those who protect property and people and those who enforce the law, or you are on the side of the thugs,” he continued, warning that the country may be approaching a “point of no return.”
On October 17, 2026, in Ile-de-France, Paris, France, during a demonstration, masked protesters forced their way into the Galeries Lafayette department store through a metal mesh and looted items. (Photo by Gauthier Bedrignans/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
According to French records le figaro“Unprecedented” robberies have taken place in central Paris, with young men, mostly dressed in black and wearing masks, stealing everything from designer sunglasses and clothes to jewelry and even cigarettes and candy in areas such as shops in the 11th arrondissement.
A similar strategy was adopted in the upscale neighborhood between Place de la République and Place de la Bastille, the report said. Luxury stores, such as the famous Galeries Lafayette, appear to be specifically targeted for robberies.
le figaro noted that because most of the teenage rioters did not go to the restaurant, there were “surreal scenes of family and friends dining as if nothing had changed, while dozens of young people were running around outside.”
Demonstrations were held across the country, with left-wing groups and organizations including trade unions joining previous education-themed protests. In addition to looting, rioters in several cities set fires, including government buildings, Lyon’s tourist office and Limoges’ historic town hall which were burned to ashes in arson attacks.
“Unprecedented levels of urban violence took place today and are still taking place at this moment,” Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a statement.
“Starting tonight, and following my instructions over the past 48 hours, I reiterate to all prosecutors and chief prosecutors the need for an extremely resolute judicial response, commensurate with the violence that has struck our country. Pretrial detention must be required for those who target law enforcement forces, firefighters, public buildings and businesses.”
PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 17: A store is looted during demonstrations on October 17, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon, Emmanuel Grégoire (Socialists), Benoit Payan (Left-Independence Party) and Grégory Doucet (Greens), called for an emergency meeting with the prime minister “given the scale of the damage and the seriousness of the situation”.
“We demand a precise assessment and an explanation of the chain of events that led to this situation. This cannot and must not happen again,” the three left-wing mayors wrote in a joint statement.
Although the government and Paris police said the far-left France in Rebellion had manipulated the protest movement into violence with the apparent aim of supporting LFI presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon to replace Emmanuel Macron in the election, the party on Saturday denied responsibility.
Mélenchon posted photos earlier in the day and praised the protests as peaceful, but later said Macron’s government was responsible for the unrest due to mismanagement of the country’s finances.