Macron vows punishment for attackers targeting town halls

• ~550,000 demonstrators protested the cost of living across France, including 110,000 in Paris.
• Heavy clashes, looting, and arson damaged Limoges' town hall.
• Police arrested ~400 individuals nationwide amid extreme violence.
• French President Macron and PM Lecornu condemned the destruction, promising strict prosecution.

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Saturday that those responsible for wrecking public property and looting businesses on the sidelines of massive nationwide cost-of-living protests will be strictly prosecuted and punished.

The statement follows a day of intense nationwide demonstrations that drew approximately 550,000 protesters across the country, according to figures released by the Interior Minister.

In Paris alone, an estimated 110,000 people marched through the streets to voice outrage over rising inflation and economic strain.

However, the demonstrations were marred by severe outbreaks of violence in several cities, prompting law enforcement to arrest around 400 people across the nation.

Limoges Town Hall set ablaze 

In one of the most severe incidents of the day, authorities confirmed that the town hall in the central French city of Limoges was set on fire after being attacked by a group of agitators during the unrest.

A witness told news agencies that the blaze spread through one wing of the historic administrative building and reached the roof.

Addressing the escalation, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu threw his full support behind the country's security forces following what he characterized as "violence of extreme intensity."

"I want to tell the French people that they can be proud of their police officers and gendarmes. They have faced violence of extreme intensity to protect our fellow citizens, and they deserve all our support," Prime Minister Lecornu stated in a post on X.

Lecornu echoed President Macron's firm stance, emphasizing that those targeting state institutions and local businesses will face the full force of the law.

"Those who carried out vandalism, attacked administrative offices or businesses, or carried out looting -- even in our town halls -- will be prosecuted and punished," Lecornu added.