Paris woke Sunday to shattered storefronts, burned cars and a heavy police presence after unrest swept through the city and other parts of France.
Violent clashes broke out Saturday during nationwide demonstrations over rising living costs and poor school conditions. Hundreds of thousands marched across the country, while masked groups fought with police, looted businesses and set fires in several cities.
Police reported 1,800 arrests nationwide, including 855 in the Paris region.
The destruction was not limited to Paris.
In Limoges, about three hours south of the capital, fire tore through the citys historic town hall, built in 1883 and designated a historic landmark in 1975.
The local prefect, Maurice Barate, told AFP that onto the lower floors and about two-thirds of the buildings exterior had disappeared. He called it “a catastrophe for heritage.”
French President had called for “calm and respect” ahead of Saturdays demonstrations, saying the right to protest must be exercised with respect for people and property.
But as violence escalated, the French president and his wife, Brigitte, were in Nanterre, west of Paris, according to French media reports.
The couple reportedly arrived and left discreetly and joined roughly 35,000 spectators at the Plenitude Arena. Macron had spent Thursday and Friday in Brussels for a European Council meeting.
President Donald Trump weighed in Sunday, blaming immigration for the unrest in a Truth Social post and urging France to close its borders.
“The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country,” he wrote. “Close your borders and take control, before it is too late!”
