Update 10/19/26: “President Macron to address public grievances, however slammed the radical far-left for undermining the Republic and vowed legal action”. — Source.
“French PM calls for partial curfews as he condemns ‘thieves’ and ‘thugs’ behind riots”— Source.
Lecornu saying “we will not be dictated and ruled by the breakers, by the thieves, by the thugs”
- Earlier, France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police had “lost control” – the head of France’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry says 2,000 businesses were directly impacted by the demonstrations
- Nuñez – whose offer to resign was rejected by French President Emmanuel Macron – said there was a “lack of anticipation” from officers
- The disorder began last month with students protesting over school conditions, but have since escalated to take in a broader range of concerns
- Lecornu says the movement is being led by “ultra-left radical groups” hoping to “create chaos” before the 2027 French presidential elections
- More than half a million people took to the streets on Saturday. On Sunday, more than 350 arrests were made in Paris alone, with at least five shops looted
And why is France becoming so poor?
Amid a wave of diverse local grievances, protests have erupted across Southern and Western Europe this week, sweeping through France, Albania, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Greece.
Watch here
French President Emmanuel Macron called for “calm and order” after riots and looting spread across France during protests over rising fuel prices, the cost of living, and deteriorating public services. About 1,800 people were arrested nationwide after the violence broke out, including in places such as Paris and Limoges.
Riots and violent clashes spread across France, Albania, Italy, Portugal and Belgium on 17 October 2026, as demonstrations over rising living costs, declining public services, housing affordability
Demonstrations against living costs and school conditions have rocked France since late September, with many turning violent.
Meanwhile, Albania has entered its fifth day of anti-government riots and protests over general economic conditions have taken place in Milan and in several cities in Portugal.
Spanish protests targeted housing affordability and the right to housing, while motor oil refinery workers in Greece gathered over demands for better workplace safety.
Former U.S. consul general in France Simon Hankinson reacts to violent unrest gripping the country and discusses mass migration, assimilation and the political forces fueling the chaos.
Read more at:
Organizer.org, Fox News, Newsweek.cim
