143-Year-Old Tower Collapses in Flames

The 143-year-old Hôtel de Ville (city hall) of Limoges was gutted by fire set by masked rioters on Saturday, 17 October 2026. The historic campanile crowning the building collapsed in flames before hundreds of residents who watched the blaze from a distance.

Witnesses said the rioters first torched a police car in front of the city hall, smashed the building's windows, then forced their way inside and set the fire from within. The flames quickly spread to the roof until the tower came down.

Haute-Vienne prefect Maurice Barate said the roof collapsed onto the lower floors and around two-thirds of the building's exterior was gone. He called the destruction a "catastrophe for heritage" and a "deliberate act by hooligans".

Protester's Hand Blown Off by Police Grenade

In Saint-Étienne, a protester lost his hand after being hit by a police grenade. Dozens of others were reported seriously injured, among both protesters and security forces.

In Lyon, masked crowds torched a 19th-century building housing the tourist office and even tried to block firefighters from putting out the flames. In Marseille, rioters briefly forced their way into the city hall lobby and damaged a municipal police station.

Macron Vows to Punish the Perpetrators

President Emmanuel Macron vowed that those who carried out vandalism, attacked government offices, or looted businesses would be prosecuted and punished. "There is no place for violence in France," he said.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said more than 550,000 people took to the streets nationwide — double the forecast. Media reports put arrests at over 1,200, with more than 110,000 demonstrators filling Paris. Nunez blamed the violence on hard-left groups using peaceful marches as cover.