PARIS – French security forces on Oct 20 arrested a man believed to be connected to the ultra-left over the burning down of a historic town hall in central France during rioting at the weekend on the sidelines of nationwide protests.
Anti-terror police have also been called in to investigate the suspected arson at the town hall in the central city of Limoges, a building dating back to 1883 whose roof and belfry collapsed when it was engulfed by fire on Oct 17.
The destruction of the building has become a symbol of the violent rioting that erupted on the margins of a day of protests on Oct 17 that were called in a show of anger against grievances, including the rising cost of living and conditions in schools.
The scenes of the building collapsing as it was hit by fire also brought back memories in France of the April 2019 fire that ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris which investigators believe started by accident but horrified the country.
The man, believed to be aged 40, was arrested by officers from the specialised RAID police unit in the nearby town of Val d’Issoire, the office of the Limoges prosecutor said.
He had previously been flagged as someone requiring surveillance as a potential threat and is linked to ultra-left movements, a source close to the case said.
Meanwhile, France’s Counter-Terrorism Sub-Directorate (SDAT), a branch of the judicial police, has been called in to investigate the case further, another source close to the case added, asking not to be named.
French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said late on Oct 19 that anti-terror prosecutors would soon decide whether to investigate the incident as a suspected terror attack.
“If they take up the case, it means it is a terrorist act – implying that certain individuals, notably from the far left, clearly organised this destruction of the town hall,” Darmanin told TF1.
The right-wing mayor of Limoges, Guillaume Guerin, has lambasted the response by police, who he said “lacked the necessary resources” and “backed down” in the face of rioters.
He called on the government to “inject millions” to rebuild the town hall, adding that “the state has failed.”
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is due to visit Limoges on Oct 23, his office said.
Around 5,000 people, including 700 individuals described by the authorities as “radicalised and extremely violent,” took part in the demonstration in Limoges on Oct 17.
Some 7,000 people then took part in a protest to denounce the violence on the evening of Oct 18. AFP