The French Prime Minister announced 1,200 arrests and 150 wounded in protests of violence in various cities, while the Minister of Justice defended preventive arrest for attacks on authorities.
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18/10/2026
by
Lusa
O french Prime Minister announced today 1,200 arrests and 150 police officers and injured gendarmes, following episodes of violence in several cities of France, while the Minister of Justice defended preventive arrest for attacks on authorities or public buildings.
The French security forces arrested 1,200 people during episodes of violence outside the demonstrations organized throughout the country this Saturday, Sébastien Lecornu announced, also reporting that 150 police and gendarmes were injured.
To the head of the government, who spoke during a visit to the security forces mobilized in central Paris for the day of protest, it is “a miracle that the balance was no more serious”.
In the same statements, Lecornu addressed the radical left-wing party France Unsubmissive – with which he has exchanged accusations since the beginning of student mobilization and to whom he accuses of supporting violence – challenging the political force led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon that “now is the time to choose a side”.
The French Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, announced that he instructed the French prosecutors to request the preventive arrest of those responsible for attacks on the police or public buildings.
The ruler, in publications on social networks, defended the arrest “of those who attacked security forces, firefighters, public buildings and commercial establishments” during the serious disturbances that took place this Saturday in the main French cities, in the midst of a wave of social demonstrations and protests.
“ Today, acts of urban violence of an unheard of gravity have taken place and continue to occur (...). I will reiterate to all prosecutors-general and prosecutors the need to offer an extremely firm judicial response, in line with the violence that has plagued our country,” said Darmanin.
The minister published the message while participating, during the afternoon, in a crisis meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior, in which the Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, and Interior Minister Laurent Núñez also participated.
“I want to praise the rapid response of the internal security forces,” Núñez said, stressing that the attacks were “very difficult to contain,” but, still, the agents “did commendable work, avoided widespread damage and carried out numerous arrests.”.
“The vast majority of detainees are adults,” he explained.
According to a survey of TF1/LCI television stations, 270 shops have been looted throughout France.
In addition, several headquarters of official entities were attacked, including the Limoges City Hall, which was completely destroyed by a fire.