Macron addresses France after nationwide unrest, with nearly 2,400 arrested and about 1,000 police injured

19 October 2026

French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a televised address on Sunday after a weekend of nationwide protests, looting and arson. France's Interior Ministry said nearly 2,400 people were arrested and about 1,000 police and gendarmes injured in Saturday's violence. Macron said those who rioted and looted would pay for their crimes, and drew a distinction between protesters with legitimate demands and those who destroyed, smashed and looted. He announced a crisis unit to provide urgent aid to people in difficulty and said he had asked the government to draw the lessons and prevent a repeat. He did not declare a state of emergency or a curfew. The protests were student-led, over rising living costs and conditions in schools and universities, and drew calls from a labour union, student organisations and activists seeking to revive the yellow vest movement that emerged in 2018. Authorities put turnout at about 550,000 people across France, while organisers put it at about 800,000.