Far-left suspect held over Limoges city hall blaze

A suspect linked to a far-left movement has been arrested after a 19th-century city hall in central France was gutted by fire over the weekend, with the blaze breaking out during mass disorder, French media report.

The clock tower and parts of the roof of the ornate city hall in Limoges were engulfed in flames before collapsing on Saturday. FranceInfo and BFMTV reported that the 34-year-old suspect is known to police for acts of violence against public officials and is on the "S" list, a French national security watchlist. In Marseille, meanwhile, a curfew for young people was to be introduced on Tuesday evening. The city's mayor, Benoît Payan, said the prefect had decided to impose it "starting this evening and for days to come". The measures apply to minors and only in commercial areas, which were particularly affected by last weekend's looting.

Gérald Darmanin, the Justice Minister, told CNews-Europe that more than 120 people have already been imprisoned following the unrest. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest against rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools. Darmanin said he had asked prosecutors to be "extremely firm" and "ruthless towards those who attacked police officers, gendarmes and firefighters, who looted shops and who attacked public buildings". He insisted France did not need a state of emergency, which would "deprive all French people of their individual freedoms". But Sébastien Lecornu, the Prime Minister, had earlier said he had not ruled one out.

Targeted curfews introduced across France on Monday contributed to a quiet night after the disorder, Lecornu said. They were imposed in parts of central Paris, including Place de la République, where protesters had gathered over the weekend, and the Les Halles shopping area. Other measures restricting the movement of young people and gatherings were introduced on Monday in cities including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon in the south, as well as Lille and other towns in the north. Lecornu thanked police officers and gendarmes for enforcing the measures, adding that further curfews on Tuesday night would be decided according to where they were needed. Writing on X, he said decisions would be made "on the ground" by French regions and local mayors.

Earlier Laurent Nuñez, the Interior Minister, admitted police had "lost control" in some cities. He was strongly criticised by opposition politicians over the authorities' preparedness, leading him to offer his resignation on Monday, which President Emmanuel Macron rejected. More than 2,500 people have been arrested since the disorder broke out, officials said on Monday. One demonstrator's hand was blown off by a police crowd-control grenade, according to AFP, and about 1,000 police officers were injured.

Protests began last month with students demanding better school conditions but have escalated to embrace a broader range of concerns, with numbers at demonstrations bolstered by trade unions and various protest groups. More than 2,000 shops and other businesses have been directly affected by the weekend's violence, according to the head of France's Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Rioters, some dressed in black and wearing masks and balaclavas, were seen setting fire to cars and buildings and looting businesses in Paris, Marseille and other cities and smaller towns.

Protest organisers have declared that a second round of demonstrations will take place on Saturday across France. The so-called yellow vests (gilets jaunes), responsible for France's longest-ever modern protests in 2018, have said "Act II" will take place this weekend. Meanwhile, the French union La CGT has called for a major day of strikes on 5 November.