PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron finally broke his silence on Sunday night, telling the nation that the "unbridled" violence of the weekend had left him feeling "anger and shame" — and warning that those who torched and looted French cities would pay.
This is a follow-up to our Sunday report on the record 855 arrests in Paris and Saturday's 550,000-strong cost-of-living marches. What's new: Macron's televised address, two confirmed deaths, updated arrest and injury tallies — and his decision against emergency powers.
What Macron said in his address to the nation
Macron drew a hard line between the peaceful marchers and the rioters. "Tonight, we all feel anger and shame," he said, insisting on a distinction between protesters with "legitimate demands" and "those who destroyed, smashed, and looted," according to Agence France-Presse.
"Those who destroyed must pay," he said. CNN carried the fuller version: "Those who looted must pay back. Those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable." And Reuters quoted his broader verdict: "Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it."
He blamed "agitators from ultra-left fringe groups, joined by numerous delinquents," who "unleashed unbridled violence in our cities" (AFP's wording); CNN described them as "seditious elements from far-left factions, joined by numerous delinquents." Yet he also acknowledged the marchers' cause: "Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of our compatriots demonstrated to state legitimate claims. Never must we confuse the latter with those who destroyed and vandalized."
No state of emergency — but new powers and a review
Macron stopped short of announcing any drastic measure, such as a state of emergency or curfew, AFP noted. Instead he promised tighter security and a reckoning over how the violence caught the authorities off guard.
He asked Interior Minister Laurent Nunez to "draw all necessary lessons," particularly on intelligence gathering and anticipation, saying he expected "clear answers," and pledged "full transparency" over the security forces' response — after opposition politicians called for Nunez's dismissal over inadequate preparations.
Reuters reported two concrete moves: prefects and mayors would be empowered to ban certain gatherings where necessary, and the government would bring together students, teachers, lawmakers, trade union representatives and business leaders this week to draw up "concrete proposals." "We must sit around the table and build solutions together," Macron said.
Two deaths: officer killed in Nantes, protester dead near Paris
The toll worsened Sunday. Nunez said a 22-year-old police officer died after being "struck by a third-party vehicle" in Nantes, about 250 miles southwest of Paris, CNN reported. A protester died just north of Paris after a "cardiorespiratory arrest," CNN's affiliate BFMTV reported, citing the Paris police headquarters.
Officials are quoting different figures at different hours, so treat any single number with care. The interior ministry told AFP that nearly 2,400 people were arrested Saturday, with almost 1,000 police and gendarmes injured, seven seriously. Separately, Nunez told CNN police had detained more than 2,000 people and that more than 600 officers were injured. Paris police alone had earlier reported a record 855 arrests in the capital region.
Prosecutors also confirmed grave individual injuries, AFP reported: a 17-year-old boy had his right hand blown off by a crowd-control grenade in Saint-Étienne, and a 17-year-old girl lost an eye in Mulhouse.
Sunday brought a second day of clashes — and unrest abroad
Even as Macron prepared his address, tensions flared again. AFP journalists said police fired tear gas and stun grenades at hundreds of people gathered in a Paris square after social media calls for a gathering the authorities said had not been approved. Bottles and rocks were hurled at officers, shops were looted around Place de la République, and specialist anti-riot police were deployed for a second day.
Violence also erupted in Lyon, where police thwarted youths attempting to smash the windows of a luxury clothing store, AFP reported. The retail damage is enormous: Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard said on social media Sunday that around 1,500 stores across the country were affected, CNN reported.
The crisis is spilling beyond France. In Milan, police clashed with stone-throwing demonstrators for a second day, firing tear gas and water cannons; more than 70 people were arrested for identification and a looted supermarket's smashed windows were broadcast on SkyTG24, CNN reported. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she would convene a meeting in Rome on Monday to "evaluate further measures against those who exploit legitimate demonstrations to sow violence and chaos."
Political fallout: rivals pounce, Trump wades in
With the presidential election roughly six months away — and Macron unable to stand again — the violence is now campaign ammunition. Marine Le Pen, riding high in the polls, said the troubles showed his administration was "running on fumes, exhausted and disoriented"; her lieutenant Jordan Bardella dismissed the speech as "lamentable," AFP reported. Jean-Luc Mélenchon urged Macron to answer the protesters' demands, saying young people "need this episode to reach a positive conclusion." Donald Trump blamed immigration: "France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country," he posted on social media, per AFP.
Key Takeaways
- Macron's vow: "Those who destroyed must pay... Those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable" — but no state of emergency or curfew.
- Two dead: a 22-year-old officer struck by a vehicle in Nantes (interior minister, via CNN) and a protester who suffered cardiac arrest near Paris (BFMTV via CNN).
- Climbing tolls: nearly 2,400 arrested Saturday, almost 1,000 officers injured (interior ministry via AFP); Nunez separately cited 2,000+ detained and 600+ officers hurt — figures from different hours.
- New measures: prefects and mayors empowered to ban gatherings, an intelligence review with "clear answers" expected, and stakeholder talks this week.
- Spreading: second-day clashes in Milan; Meloni calls a Monday meeting; ~1,500 Carrefour stores hit nationwide.
Why it matters
France practically invented mass protest, but a presidential address this solemn — "anger and shame," two dead, a looted capital — shows the weekend crossed a line even by French standards. Macron tried to hold two ideas at once: the marchers' demands are legitimate; the wreckage is not. With the presidency up for grabs in six months and Le Pen polling high, every torched town hall is now an election issue — and his promise of "concrete proposals" this week will be judged by young people who feel the system stopped listening.
What happens next
Monday is packed: Macron is expected to hold an emergency meeting with French mayors on public safety, an interministerial crisis meeting is scheduled, and the mayors of Paris, Lyon and Marseille have asked to see the prime minister about repairs. The stakeholder sessions with students, teachers, unions and business leaders are meant to start this week — and with nearly 2,400 in custody, court appearances will begin testing Macron's promise that "those who destroyed must pay."
Frequently asked questions
What did Macron say in his address about the France protests?
He condemned the "unbridled" violence — "Tonight, we all feel anger and shame" and "Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it." He vowed "those who destroyed must pay" and those who "sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable," while separating protesters with "legitimate demands" from looters.
Did Macron declare a state of emergency in France?
No. AFP noted he stopped short of drastic measures such as a state of emergency or curfew. He promised tighter security, gave prefects and mayors power to ban certain gatherings, and ordered a review of intelligence and police preparedness.
How many people died in the France protests?
Two, per CNN's Sunday reporting: a 22-year-old police officer died after being "struck by a third-party vehicle" in Nantes, the interior minister said, and a protester died of cardiac arrest just north of Paris, per BFMTV citing the Paris police headquarters.
How many were arrested in the France protests?
Figures vary by hour and source: the interior ministry told AFP nearly 2,400 were arrested Saturday; Interior Minister Nunez separately said more than 2,000 were detained. Paris police alone reported a record 855 arrests in the capital region.
How many police were injured in the unrest?
The interior ministry told AFP almost 1,000 police and gendarmes were injured, seven seriously. Nunez separately put the figure at more than 600 officers injured. Both figures were reported on Sunday.
What happened in Milan related to the France protests?
Youth-led solidarity protests reached Italy, where police clashed with stone-throwing demonstrators in Milan for a second day, firing tear gas and water cannons; over 70 people were arrested for identification and a supermarket was looted, per SkyTG24 via CNN. Prime Minister Meloni called a Monday meeting on further measures.
Is this connected to earlier GlobalDeskNews coverage?
Yes. This follows Sunday's report on the record 855 Paris arrests, Saturday's 550,000-strong marches and night clashes, and the earlier living-costs clashes. New tonight: Macron's address, the two deaths, and updated national tolls.
Sources
- CNN (Joseph Ataman, Catherine Nicholls, Sana Noor Haq, James Legge), "France's Macron vows to hold accountable those who 'sought to bring down the Republic' during major protests," October 18, 2026 — CNN
- AFP via Channel News Asia, "Macron denounces 'unbridled' violence as France hit by new clashes," October 18, 2026 (updated October 19) — Channel News Asia
- Reuters (Michel Rose, Sybille de La Hamaide), "Macron condemns 'shocking' scenes of violence across France," October 18, 2026 — Reuters
- AFP via Arab News, "Macron says nothing justifies 'unbridled' violence in France protests," October 18, 2026 — Arab News
- AFP via The Times of Israel, "Macron slams 'unbridled' riots in France, says 'those who have destroyed must pay'," October 18, 2026 — Times of Israel
- Anadolu Agency, "Fresh clashes erupt in Paris as France protest arrests exceed 2,000," October 18, 2026 — Anadolu Agency
By GlobalDeskNews Staff