France is in the grip of one of its most serious social and political crises in recent years, with the government facing fierce criticism over the failure of security forces to prevent the widespread riots on Saturday, 17 October, as soaring living costs and fuel prices fuel public anger.

As the country counts the cost of looting, arson attacks and violent clashes, French President Emmanuel Macron is embarking on a three-day tour of four Gulf states in an attempt to secure new oil and diesel supply agreements and ease mounting pressure on the French economy.

The scale of the violence has been staggering. According to updated figures from the French Interior Ministry, 2,397 people were arrested and 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously, during nationwide demonstrations over the cost-of-living crisis and the deterioration of public services.

The protests, which drew hundreds of thousands of people, were marred by widespread violence in several major cities. Clashes with security forces, damage to public property, vehicle fires and the looting of shops were reported in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Limoges.

Town halls in flames and rioters near the Élysée Palace

The situation was particularly serious in Limoges, where the historic town hall was engulfed in flames following an attack by a group of masked rioters.

Municipal buildings were also targeted in Marseille and Lille, while the official residence of the prefect of Gironde was vandalised in Bordeaux.

In Paris, groups of rioters moved through different parts of the capital, causing extensive damage and looting businesses.

The situation became particularly alarming when groups of demonstrators managed to approach the area surrounding the Élysée Palace, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of security arrangements around the French presidency. “Something went wrong. It is inconceivable that groups were able to get so close to the Élysée,” was one assessment reported in the French media concerning the handling of the unrest.

The intensity, speed and geographical spread of the violence appear to have caught the authorities off guard. Police units found themselves confronting numerous groups that were constantly on the move, clashing with officers before dispersing into different areas, making it extremely difficult for security forces to contain the disturbances.

Interior Minister under fire – ‘We underestimated the number of rioters’

In the aftermath of the violence, the government is facing a barrage of criticism over its preparations and the management of police operations.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez is coming under increasing pressure from opposition politicians and mayors of the cities that suffered the worst destruction.

Politicians from across the political spectrum are demanding explanations as to how thousands of rioters were able to operate seemingly unchecked for hours.

Marine Tondelier, the Greens’ presidential candidate, called for Nuñez’s resignation, arguing that he had completely underestimated the scale of the crisis.

MPs from La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) voiced similar criticism, while figures from the National Rally accused the government of incompetence and inadequate policing.

Former President François Hollande said the state had failed to maintain public order across the country.

Nuñez, however, rejected accusations of inadequate planning. He argued that security forces had been confronted with a mass mobilisation of groups intent on vandalism and looting, using tactics designed to catch police off guard before dispersing rapidly.

Anger in Marseille as hundreds of shops targeted

Criticism was particularly fierce in Marseille, where Mayor Benoît Payan accused the government of leaving the city exposed to attacks. “I want to know why, in this city, some people were able to destroy things with impunity,” he said, claiming that the security forces deployed from the early morning had been insufficient.

According to the mayor, only one unit of the CRS riot police had initially been deployed, with additional reinforcements arriving later, by which time the situation had already spiralled out of control.

The Interior Minister responded that approximately 2,000 rioters had appeared on the city’s main thoroughfare, La Canebière, very early in the day, catching police forces by surprise.

Particularly high estimates of the number of people involved in the Marseille disturbances have also emerged.

Local media, citing the police headquarters, reported that more than 30,000 people had been classified as looters, including 8,000 described as rioters.

However, other reports attributed to the prefecture put the combined number of rioters and looters at between 7,000 and 8,000, meaning the figures should be treated with caution.

In Marseille, 99 people were taken into police custody in connection with the unrest, while 118 members of the security forces were injured, three of whom required hospital treatment.

Macron: ‘We feel anger and shame – those who caused destruction will pay’

Confronted with the scale of the destruction, Emmanuel Macron issued a forceful condemnation of the violence, blaming the escalation on far-left groups and criminal elements. “We all feel anger and shame,” the French President said in a televised address, describing the scenes of looting and arson that had unfolded across the country.

“Shops were looted, public buildings and town halls were attacked. Seeing these images, we all asked ourselves how French people could do this to France,” he said.

Macron made clear that those responsible for the destruction would be held accountable before the courts. “Those who destroyed must pay. Those who looted must compensate. Those who sought to undermine the Republic will be held accountable,” he stressed.

He also called on the government to draw all necessary lessons from the crisis, particularly in relation to intelligence gathering and the prevention of violent disturbances.

At the same time, the President sought to draw a clear distinction between peaceful demonstrators and those responsible for the destruction.

He acknowledged that public dissatisfaction over the cost of living, rising fuel prices and conditions in education was genuine and required political answers.

Macron made particular reference to young people who have been mobilising in schools and universities in recent weeks, stressing that their concerns about education, career prospects and their future must be heard. “Our responsibility is twofold: to listen to the anger and address its deeper causes, while at the same time firmly upholding the rule of law,” he said.

Addressing the French public, he called for unity and calm ahead of the presidential election, which is approximately six months away. “The country needs order and calm, not escalation,” he declared, warning that dialogue should not be confused with weakness or tolerance of impunity.

Macron heads to four Gulf states in search of oil and diesel supplies

Against this backdrop of domestic turmoil, the French President begins a tour of four Gulf states today, visiting Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar between 19 and 21 October.

The visit is aimed at securing supplies of diesel and oil that could potentially help bring down prices at French petrol stations, the Élysée Palace announced on Wednesday.

The diplomatic initiative comes as France struggles with soaring energy costs and mounting public frustration over the rising cost of living.

Hydrocarbon deliveries from the Gulf have been particularly badly affected by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been in place since the crisis between the United States and Iran began in February.

The situation has been further complicated by the crisis surrounding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, involving forces in Yemen and the Iran-backed Houthi movement.

Macron’s Gulf tour therefore comes at a particularly sensitive moment for France, as his government faces mounting pressure to restore domestic stability while simultaneously securing the energy supplies needed to relieve the country’s economic difficulties.