France vows to crack down after protests spiral out of control

Paris — French officials were considering declaring a state of emergency and implementing local curfews Monday as the nation reeled from a weekend of violence. Widespread anti-government protests in many large cities descended into riots, with damage to historic properties and thousands of arrests.

In hard-hit Marseille, France's second-largest city, all large gatherings were banned Monday in the wake of the violence, which started weeks ago as protests by young people furious over the state of their schools, but quickly snowballed into national demonstrations over the rising cost of living and declining public services. 

The 19th-century town hall in the city of Limoges was burned to the ground on Saturday by masked rioters who hijacked marches across France, looting stores, torching cars and buildings and clashing with police as the protests turned violent. 

Nearly 2,500 people have been arrested, France's Interior Ministry said Saturday.

In an address Sunday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron, vowed that "those who sought to bring down the republic will be held accountable."

Speaking Monday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed at least some of the violence on "an ultra-left movement intent on orchestrating profound disorder in the country leading up to the presidential election" in April.

He said police "had lost control" during the unrest, and as the Yellow Vests protest movement, which organized the weekend rallies that turned violent, called for a new round of demonstrations on Saturday, he called for regional authorities to impose "partial" and "localized" curfews to protect businesses.

"I'm absolutely determined to restore public order," Lecornu said, adding that the government was ready to impose a national state of emergency, "if needed."

Speaking of the alleged agitators, Lecornu said there was "⁠an entire network that could be mobilized to challenge the presidential election schedule and the very holding of the presidential election," adding that the government was committed to protecting the country's democratic process.

⁠"There is no way we will allow violent minorities to impose an agenda of violence and, quite obviously, prevent us from holding this election," he said, acknowledging that the protests by high school students over classroom conditions were legitimate, but adding that "the freedom to demonstrate is being undermined."

While French officials have not suggested any link between the unrest and immigration, President Trump claimed one in a brief social media post on Monday, saying: "The migrants have taken over France. They must CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!"

Damage to landmarks

Capital city Paris has seen the worst of the unrest, and residents woke up Monday to streets littered with debris and burned vehicles. But severe damage was inflicted across the country, with centuries of heritage being damaged or destroyed by flames.

Video captured the moment the clock tower of Limoges' historic town hall, in southwest France — a landmark that had stood for nearly 150 years, surviving both World Wars — was engulfed in flames and came toppling down. 

The tourist office in the eastern city of Lyon stood for years in one of France's most famous, beautiful city squares. But vandals, many of them masked, rampaged around the building and set it on fire, too.

The city hall in Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast, which dates back to the 1600s, was also stormed and vandalized with graffiti. 

On Monday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Paris' iconic Louvre Museum in support of the school students who initiated the demonstrations more than a month ago.

What protesters say they want

The protests began as demonstrations by high school students about a month ago, with thousands taking to the streets peacefully to vent frustration over crumbling schools, overpacked classes and teacher shortages.

But it grew into a nationwide outpouring of anger over the soaring cost of living — salaries that aren't keeping up with inflation, and crumbling public services.

More than 500,000 people took to the streets on Saturday, when the unrest peaked. But as the government alludes to, there have also been opportunists — people and groups looting, vandalizing and attacking police as they try to control the crowds.

"There are so many reasons," Kamil Alahyan, 18, told French news agency AFP. "The politicians who lie, the ultra-rich who've been raking in more and more wealth over the last 10 years … everyone has a different reason." 

Anae, a 24-year-old student in Grenoble, told AFP she had completed her studies but now has "no income. I've got no money. I don't necessarily have a secure future. Our planet is burning. And we've got a government that's making a joke out of us!"