Overview
- The attack, which took place Saturday at the end of a nationwide protest, saw masked people set a municipal police vehicle on fire, break windows and enter the town hall before flames took hold.
- Fire crews battled the blaze for hours but the roof and dome collapsed onto lower floors and the prefect reports roughly two-thirds of the exterior facades were badly damaged.
- Local officials have condemned the act as deliberate vandalism, said arrests and investigations will follow, and pledged to continue essential municipal services from temporary locations.
- Hundreds of residents watched and filmed the collapse, police say some participants later moved toward the prefecture and there were reports of shop lootings in the city center.
- The loss is both civic and cultural because the 1883 building is a listed monument historique, and officials and heritage experts will now assess whether the damaged structure can be repaired or must be rebuilt.