Dramatic footage from France on Saturday showed the historic city hall in Limoges engulfed in flames before much of the building collapsed, as violent riots spread across the country, leaving dozens of police officers injured and hundreds of people under arrest.
The 143-year-old municipal building, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks, was set ablaze by rioters during nationwide protests against the rising cost of living and deteriorating public services. Built in 1883 and inspired by Paris City Hall, the landmark was almost completely destroyed.
Limoges City Hall goes up in flames and collapses
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According to local authorities, "the roof collapsed onto the lower floors, except in the western wing, and two-thirds of the facade have already disappeared."
In Paris, police reported another disturbing incident in which a couple in their 80s was robbed by rioters near Place de la République. According to law enforcement officials, the elderly victims were left standing in the street wearing nothing but their underwear.
Limoges City Hall set ablaze during violent nationwide protests
(Photo: Pascal LACHENAUD / AFP)
(Photo: Guillaume Saligot / AFP)
Just 400 meters from the Élysée Palace, the official residence of French President Emmanuel Macron, violent clashes erupted after rioters took control of a temporary structure at a construction site. Police stormed the structure using stun grenades, in scenes French media described as resembling "urban guerrilla warfare."
Elsewhere in the capital, audience members at the Théâtre de la Madeleine found themselves trapped inside the building because of heavy concentrations of tear gas in the surrounding streets. They were eventually evacuated.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that 60 members of the security forces had been injured during the day's unrest, including two who were hospitalized unconscious. One of the officers was injured after being struck by a stone.
Authorities also reported 400 arrests nationwide, with the number expected to rise as police continued confronting rioters in several cities.
The violence erupted during a nationwide day of demonstrations against the rising cost of living, declining public services and increasing fuel prices. Participants included supporters of the Yellow Vest movement, which emerged in France in late 2018. Critics of the demonstrations, however, accused radical far-left groups of using the protests as a violent show of force ahead of next year's presidential election.
In Paris, Lyon and Marseille, masked rioters, some wearing Palestinian keffiyehs, clashed with police, who deployed tear gas and stun grenades in attempts to disperse the crowds. Footage from the French capital showed burning cars and a bus shelter engulfed in flames, while groups of rioters confronted security forces in the streets.
In Marseille, dramatic video captured a prolonged street battle between police and a crowd that hurled stones and other objects at officers and police vehicles. The confrontation lasted several minutes, with scenes resembling urban warfare.
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Widespread looting was also reported, particularly in central Lyon, where masked rioters smashed the windows of a North Face store before breaking inside. A hotel was also targeted, while another group of masked looters raided a store selling Apple devices.