Macron condemns violence after nationwide unrest in France
Emmanuel Macron addressed France on 18 October 2026 after widespread unrest, as the interior ministry reported nearly 2,400 arrests during the previous day.
In short
- Emmanuel Macron addressed France on 18 October 2026 after widespread unrest, as the interior ministry reported nearly 2,400 arrests during the previous day.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned violence in a televised address on 18 October 2026 after unrest across France left public buildings damaged and shops looted, according to The Guardian.
The newspaper reported that the interior ministry recorded nearly 2,400 arrests on 17 October. Further clashes took place in central Paris on 18 October, with police using tear gas as fires burned in the streets.
Macron said local officials could prohibit particular street gatherings where necessary. He distinguished peaceful demonstrators raising concerns about living costs and education from people responsible for destruction and looting.
The unrest followed weeks of school protests calling for more teachers and repairs to buildings. The Guardian reported that peaceful marches on 17 October drew students, parents, teachers and workers, while separate groups clashed with police and attacked property.
Local leaders questioned the authorities’ response. In Limoges, Mayor Guillaume Guérin criticised the failure to protect the town hall after it was burned. Lyon Mayor Grégory Doucet called for a political response to peaceful demonstrators’ demands alongside examination of the violence.
Macron and other government figures blamed far-left groups and criminals. Those accusations remain the government’s assessment; they do not establish responsibility for every incident.
