![[Christophe Noisette / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/190841914/db2af642c1019a294282ff91495a268699957a78e94ed36f2bf236cf88226286)
Overview
- Large nationwide protests on October 17 against the cost of living were followed by widespread violence that saw thousands of shops damaged or looted and a town hall burned in Limoges.
- Authorities have made hundreds of arrests and, according to the justice minister, 149 people have been jailed so far as courts hold expedited immediate hearings to process suspects quickly.
- Local officials have imposed targeted curfews, including restrictions for minors in some cities, and prosecutors have been ordered to pursue organized‑crime qualifications that allow longer detentions and intrusive investigative tools.
- Investigators, supported by RAID and anti‑terror units, arrested a 34‑year‑old suspect on Tuesday in the Limoges city‑hall fire who is reportedly fiché S and is now the subject of inquiries by anti‑terror prosecutors.
- The government announced zero‑interest loans up to €50,000 for damaged businesses even as severe Mediterranean storms caused flooding and at least one death, and the Assemblée nationale has approved a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the weekend’s events.