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 security forces’ failure to prevent the widespread riots across France on Sunday, October 18, as the rising cost of living and soaring fuel prices exacerbate public discontent.

The crisis has now caused significant upheaval within the government itself, after Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez submitted his resignation, which French President Emmanuel Macron refused to accept.

According to a statement from the Élysée Palace, the president decided that continuity in the leadership of the security forces was essential under the present circumstances. However, he instructed Nuñez to take “all necessary measures” to ensure full transparency over failures by the relevant authorities and to introduce new operational methods to deal more effectively with similar crises.

Nationwide demonstrations in France erupted into riots on Saturday, with a town hall torched, shops ransacked, and buildings covered in graffiti as violent groups clashed with police in cities https://t.co/lgOhvQnF5m https://t.co/z1cZjwmNCi

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 18, 2026

With the country counting the cost of widespread looting, arson attacks and violent clashes, Macron is embarking on a three-day tour of four Gulf states, seeking to secure new agreements for oil and diesel supplies and ease the pressure on the French economy.

The scale of the violence has been severe. 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 high cost of living and the deterioration of public services.

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

BREAKING: Inspired by France, young second and third-generation migrants started looting stores in Milan, Italy around 2 hours ago. International mainstream media isn’t showing just how bad things are in Europe. https://t.co/ngDVLvDpj2

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 18, 2026

Town halls in flames as rioters approach 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 individuals. Municipal buildings were also targeted in Marseille and Lille, while the residence of the prefect of Gironde was vandalised in Bordeaux. In Paris, groups of rioters moved through different parts of the capital, causing 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. “Something went wrong. It is inconceivable that groups were able to get so close to the Élysée,” was the assessment reflected in French media coverage of the authorities’ 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 to contain the disturbances.

PARIS LOOKS LIKE A WAR ZONE THIS MORNING. Burned-out cars. Debris everywhere. Luxury stores with smashed windows. Monuments tagged. People walking past the wreckage like it’s normal. This is what walking through the city looks like on October 18th after last night’s “protests.” This is what happens when a country imports millions who refuse to assimilate, ignores the crime that follows, and then pretends the resulting chaos is just “economic frustration.” It ended with hundreds of shops looted, cars torched, and streets looking like a battlefield. Over 1,800 arrested. France chose open borders over order. Now its capital looks like this.

— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) October 19, 2026

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

In the aftermath of the violence, the government has faced a wave of criticism over the preparation and management of police operations. Nuñez has come under pressure from opposition politicians and mayors of the cities that suffered the greatest damage. Politicians from across the political spectrum have demanded explanations as to how thousands of rioters were able to operate largely unchecked for hours.

The Green Party’s presidential candidate, Marine Tondelier, called for Nuñez to resign, arguing that he had completely underestimated the scale of the crisis.

Members of France Unbowed expressed similar criticism, while figures from the National Rally accused the government of incompetence and inadequate policing.

Former President François Hollande pointed out that the state had failed to maintain public order across the country.

Nuñez, for his part, rejected accusations of inadequate planning.

He argued that the security forces had faced a mass mobilisation of groups intent on vandalism and looting, employing tactics designed to surprise the police before rapidly dispersing.

WATCH: A shop owner in France was assaulted as he tried to defend his store, kicked to the ground and pelted with rocks by rioters. https://t.co/kuPVpS3mjZ

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 18, 2026

Anger in Marseille as hundreds of shops are targeted

Criticism was particularly fierce from Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan, who accused the government of leaving the city unprotected against the attacks. “I want to know why, in this city, some people were able to destroy things without being stopped,” he said, alleging that the police units deployed from the morning had been insufficient.

According to the mayor, only one unit of the CRS riot police had initially been deployed, while additional reinforcements arrived later, when the situation had already spiralled out of control.

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

Particularly high estimates were reported concerning the scale of the violence in Marseille. Local media, citing the police directorate, referred to more than 30,000 people described as “looters”, including 8,000 “rioters”.

However, other reports attributed to the prefecture an estimate of between 7,000 and 8,000 rioters and looters in total, meaning the figures should be treated with caution.

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

BREAKING: ‘How can French people do this to France?’ French President Emmanuel Macron has said the country is feeling ‘anger and shame’ over recent protests in the country. Calling for peace, the president said ‘nothing’ justifies the riots and damage caused in multiple cities. https://t.co/7pAPurPqW0

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 18, 2026

Macron: ‘We feel anger and shame – those responsible for the destruction will pay’

Faced with the scale of the destruction, Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the violence, attributing the escalation to 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. Watching 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 intelligence gathering and the prevention of violent disturbances.

However, the president sought to draw a clear distinction between peaceful demonstrators and those responsible for the destruction.

He acknowledged that public anger over the cost of living, rising fuel prices and conditions in education was genuine and required political responses. 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 underlying causes, while at the same time firmly upholding the rule of law,” he said.

Addressing the French public, the French President 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 said, warning that dialogue did not mean weakness or tolerance of impunity.

The French president begins a tour of four Gulf states on Monday, visiting Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar between 19 and 21 October in an effort to secure supplies of “diesel and oil” that could potentially bring down prices at French petrol stations.

Hydrocarbon deliveries from the Gulf have been particularly badly affected by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since the crisis between the United States and Iran began in February, as well as by the crisis surrounding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait involving Yemeni forces and the Iran-backed Houthis.