Paris, Oct. 18, 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned on Sunday what he called the “dissenters” who looted and vandalised cities in “shocking” scenes across France on the sidelines of protests over the cost of living.
“Looking at these images, we have all asked ourselves: what was going through their minds? How can French people do this to France?”, Macron said in a televised address to the nation.
“Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it. Tonight, we all feel anger and shame.”
Macron, whose final six months in office are being shaped by mounting political, fiscal, and social pressures, said he had ordered a review to determine whether there had been failings in intelligence gathering or police preparedness before protests that were later marred by looting and violence.
