France protests latest: 108 more arrests in Paris as looting continues; Macron leaves for the Gulf

Paris police made 108 arrests in the capital on Sunday 18 October, 66 of them in the evening after President Emmanuel Macron’s televised address, as looting and clashes continued for a second day, 20 Minutes reported, citing the Paris police prefecture and AFP.

The prefecture said at least five shops were looted on Sunday evening, including a clothing store, a Darty electronics store in Belleville and two supermarkets. It described “scattered groups of young opportunist delinquents” trying to loot shops around Châtelet-Les Halles. An AFP journalist saw people enter the BHV Marais department store after its entrance door was smashed, France 24 reported. Police used tear gas, stun grenades and a water cannon around Place de la République and Les Halles. Earlier in the evening, BFMTV reported a prefecture count of 92 arrests and at least 50 shops looted in Paris since the start of the day.

In Lyon, about 50 young people tried to break the window of a Lacoste store; three were detained and two of them were later released, France 24 reported. The Bouches-du-Rhône police prefecture said groups moved between shopping centres in Marseille and police intervened wherever break-ins were attempted, adding that no looting was recorded there.

No nationwide arrest or injury figure for Sunday had been published as of 4:15am GMT Monday. For Saturday’s figures and Mr Macron’s address, see our earlier report.

Government

Mr Macron arrives in the Gulf on Monday for a tour of Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar until Wednesday, which the Élysée said he was keeping despite the unrest, Le Parisien reported, citing AFP. The Élysée said the aim was to obtain additional fuel supplies that would indirectly affect prices; executives from TotalEnergies and Engie are travelling with him.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s interministerial crisis meeting, first set for Sunday evening, was moved to 10am Monday Paris time, Matignon said. It will cover trade, insurance and court follow-up, ICI and 20 Minutes reported. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez is due in Marseille on Monday.

Opposition, unions and retailers

National Rally president Jordan Bardella said the government no longer had the strength to protect the French, while Manuel Bompard of La France Insoumise said Mr Macron’s address was irresponsible and offered no concrete answer to protesters, Le Parisien reported. Earlier calls for Mr Nuñez to resign are covered here.

The CGT union is calling for “peaceful” mobilisation to continue, with a nationwide strike and protest day by several unions on Thursday 5 November. Alexandre Bompard, head of the retail federation FCD (no relation to the LFI politician), said on Sunday that about 1,500 shops were directly hit on Saturday, with damage of “several hundred million euros”.

The National Assembly is due to vote on Tuesday on the first part of the 2027 budget, CNBC reported.

Figures as of 4:15am GMT Monday.