French President Emmanuel Macron Rejects Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s Resignation Following the widespread riots that swept the country, Macron called for new methods to be developed to deal with those involved in looting.
The Élysée Palace said on Monday that Macron had asked Nuñez to remain in office, stressing the importance of maintaining the chain of command within the police and security forces, according to Reuters. It added that the president had tasked the interior minister with developing the new methods as quickly as possible.
In a televised address on Sunday evening, Macron had stressed that “nothing justifies” the acts of violence that accompanied Saturday’s protests, pledging to hold those responsible for vandalism and looting accountable.
“We are all feeling anger and shame this evening,” the French president said, calling for a distinction to be made between the legitimate demands of protesters and those who committed assaults. He also pledged full transparency regarding the public security strategy.
More than half a million people took part in marches held across dozens of French cities, coinciding with a student movement that has been ongoing for nearly a month and broader protests over rising living costs and declining standards of public services.
The demonstrations were marred by riots, including the burning of a town hall, looting of shops and attacks on property, as well as clashes with security forces.
According to figures released by the Interior Ministry on Sunday evening, police arrested around 2,400 people, while more than 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, including seven who sustained serious injuries. One protester also died after suffering cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris.
Tensions flared again on Sunday around Place de la République in the French capital, where police deployed the CRS 8 unit, which specializes in combating urban violence.
The Paris Police Prefecture said calls had circulated on social media urging people to attend an unauthorized gathering. It explained that officers had conducted searches and deployed reinforcements to ensure a rapid response.
The area witnessed the looting of a clothing store and projectiles being thrown at security forces, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades, while firefighters intervened to extinguish fires. Meanwhile, police confirmed that authorized demonstrations were taking place in other parts of the capital.
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Author: Counselor Faisal Al-Mutairi.
Publication Date: October 19, 2026.
Updated: October 2026.
