French President Emmanuel Macron is under fire for attending a Celine Dion concert Friday night, just hours before nationwide protests erupted into violence, injuring hundreds of emergency responders and leading to nearly 1,800 arrests.
French media reported that Macron and his wife, Brigitte, attended Dion’s performance at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris. The couple reportedly entered and departed discreetly and joined approximately 35,000 concertgoers.
The concert followed Macron’s two-day trip to Brussels for a European Council meeting. Speaking at a news conference there Friday, he urged demonstrators to show “calm and respect” during Saturday’s planned protests, insisting that the right to demonstrate must not come at the expense of people or property.
By Saturday, protests over the rising cost of living, deteriorating school conditions and cuts to public services had devolved into clashes with police, arson, looting and attacks on public buildings across multiple cities.
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures while speaking at a press conference during a European Union leaders’ summit in Brussels, Belgium, October 16, 2026. (REUTERS/Yves Herman)
Authorities said Sunday that about 1,800 people had been arrested across France, including 855 in the Paris region. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured. Officials also reported that one protester died after suffering cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris.
In Limoges, a fire authorities said was intentionally started badly damaged the city hall, a historic building. Stores were looted in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon and other cities, while public buildings were vandalized or set ablaze.
Government estimates put nationwide participation at more than 550,000 people. Organizers claimed the turnout was closer to 800,000.
This photograph shows flames consuming Limoges city hall after a group forced its way into the building during protests against the “high cost of living” in Limoges, central France, October 17, 2026. (Pascal Lachenaud / AFP via Getty Images)
Macron denounced the destruction Saturday evening, writing on X that anyone who damaged property, attacked public buildings or looted businesses would be prosecuted and punished. He voiced support for law enforcement and warned against attempts to weaken France’s institutions.
The president’s remarks came as violence spread through several major cities, prompting renewed scrutiny of the government’s preparations and its ability to control the unrest.
Protesters set fire to Limoges town hall during a demonstration in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, on October 17, 2026. (Elise Cabane / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)
The unrest grew out of a month-long student campaign focused on school conditions and teacher shortages in working-class suburbs. It later expanded into a broader movement opposing inequality, public-spending reductions and the escalating cost of living.
Government officials have blamed looters and violent groups for the destruction. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu pointed to the “ultra-left” and criminal elements, while opposition politicians accused the government of mishandling the crisis ahead of next year’s presidential election.
A protester confronts French riot police during clashes at Place de la République in Paris on October 17, 2026, amid nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living and higher fuel prices. The protests, organized by the “Yellow Vests” movement, drew high school and university students, teachers, parents, unions, workers, farmers and retirees calling for improved schools and government action. (Jack Taylor/Reuters)
Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen condemned the looting and property damage. Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, meanwhile, defended the protesters’ underlying concerns and criticized the government’s response, accusing Lecornu of “playing with fire,” according to reports.
Businesses were left facing extensive damage and potentially severe losses. Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard told French television that 50 of the company’s stores had been damaged, including 20 that were looted. Reuters reported that the losses could reach tens of millions of euros.
The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon have asked to meet with the prime minister about the destruction. Officials in Marseille and Bordeaux have announced or proposed emergency aid for businesses affected by the unrest.
Tens of thousands of secondary school students and supporters march from Republic Square to Nation Square on October 6, 2026, in Paris, France. (Guy Smallman/Getty Images)
Macron is expected to address the nation at 8 p.m. local time Sunday, or 2 p.m. Eastern, following a meeting with senior government officials. His speech comes as France launches a nationwide cleanup and authorities begin preparing prosecutions against those arrested.
The address will mark a critical test for Macron as his government faces mounting pressure over the scale of the destruction, the police response and the economic grievances that fueled the demonstrations.
