October 19, 2026
Macron Refuses Interior Minister's Resignation After France's Weekend Riots
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Macron Refuses Interior Minister's Resignation After France's Weekend Riots
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron has refused the resignation offer of Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, whose police forces were overrun by rioters during a violent weekend of protests across France, the presidency briefed French journalists.
Nunez offered to resign on Sunday. Speaking on France Inter radio, he said he had offered to step down because "I am the minister of the interior, I am responsible for everything that happens on the ground." He admitted police had been "overrun by rioters" on Saturday — "there was a loss of control" — and acknowledged "a lack of anticipation" in deploying security forces.
The Élysée said Macron refused the resignation because he did not want to change ministers in the middle of the protest movement, with looting continuing into Sunday and more demonstrations being planned by unions. Macron instead tasked Nunez with ensuring transparency over what he called "failures in anticipation and intelligence" and with putting new operational methods for security forces in place.
The scale of the weekend
The unrest erupted during demonstrations on Saturday that brought together students demanding better education conditions and residents protesting the cost of living and faltering public services. The Interior Ministry counted 550,000 protesters nationwide; the CGT union claimed 800,000.
According to official figures, nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers were injured (seven seriously), approximately 2,400 people were arrested, some 1,500 shops were ransacked, and masked rioters attacked town halls, police stations and other government buildings.
The most symbolic loss came in Limoges, where masked protesters torched a police car outside the 19th-century city hall, smashed its windows and started a blaze inside. The roof collapsed and the building's spire was lost. Prefect Maurice Barate told AFP the building was "largely lost," calling it a "catastrophe for heritage" and a "deliberate act by hooligans." Built in 1873 and inaugurated in 1883, it had survived both World Wars.
What comes next
Some towns and cities are being placed under curfew. Further clashes and looting were reported late Sunday in Paris, Lyon and Marseille, and ministers have promised a tighter security operation. Macron has invited opposition leaders for talks to foster national unity; Marine Le Pen declined to attend, sending a junior representative instead.
This is a developing story.
Source: The Times (originally verified vs Reuters)
Source: The Times — read the original report
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