By Fox News (Politics) | Created at 2026-10-18 18:11:05 | Updated at 2026-10-18 21:09:42
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Paris woke Sunday to shattered storefronts, burned cars and a heavy police presence after unrest swept through the city and other parts of France.
Violent clashes broke out Saturday during nationwide demonstrations over rising living costs and poor school conditions. Hundreds of thousands marched across the country, while masked groups fought with police, looted businesses and set fires in several cities.
Police reported 1,800 arrests nationwide, including 855 in the Paris region.
VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT FRANCE PROTESTS AS MACRON WARNS UNREST IS BEING EXPLOITED
A protester waving a French national flag walks past a fire during clashes prior to the start of a demonstration to protest against the "high cost of living", in Marseille, southern France, on October 17, 2026. (Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty Images)
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A protester holds a rock to throw at police as a kiosk burns during a demonstration near Place de la République, as the the Gilets Jaunes join students for a weekend of action on October 17, 2026 in Paris, France. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
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A protestor jumps over a wheelie bin as a fire is started on Voltaire boulevard while tens of thousands of secondary school students and their supporters march from Republic to Nation square on October 6, 2026 in Paris, France (Guy Smallman/Getty Images)
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Clashes occur between protesters throwing projectiles and police responding with tear gas during a demonstration against the high cost of living in Paris, France, on October 17, 2026. (Jerome Gilles/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
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A fire is seen with the Eiffel Tower in the background during a demonstration to protest against the "high cost of living", in Paris on October 17, 2026 as part of a nationwide call for mobilisation bringing together various groups expressing their anger: former "Yellow Vest", secondary school and university students, climate activists and even farmers. (Guillaume Saligot/AFP/Getty Images)
Thousands of protesters take to the streets in Paris, France, on October 17, 2026. On the day of a mobilization called by the Yellow Vests, thousands of people join the demonstration. (Elisa Marchina/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
The destruction was not limited to Paris.
In Limoges, about three hours south of the capital, fire tore through the city’s historic town hall, built in 1883 and designated a historic landmark in 1975.
The local prefect, Maurice Barate, told AFP that the roof had collapsed onto the lower floors and about two-thirds of the building’s exterior had disappeared. He called it "a catastrophe for heritage."
LIMOGES TOWN HALL ‘LARGELY LOST’ AFTER FAR-LEFT RIOTERS SET HISTORIC BUILDING ON FIRE
This photograph shows a fire burning and destroying the city hall after a group of individuals forced entry into the building during ongoing protest action against the "high cost of living", in Limoges, central France on October 17, 2026. (Pascal Lachenaud/AFP/Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron had called for "calm and respect" ahead of Saturday’s demonstrations, saying the right to protest must be exercised with respect for people and property.
But as violence escalated, the French president and his wife, Brigitte, were spotted at a Celine Dion concert in Nanterre, west of Paris, according to French media reports.
The couple reportedly arrived and left discreetly and joined roughly 35,000 spectators at the Plenitude Arena. Macron had spent Thursday and Friday in Brussels for a European Council meeting.
WHERE'S MACRON? FRENCH LEADER BLASTED FOR ATTENDING CONCERT AS RIOTS ESCALATED
People walk by looted shops after a day of violent clashes between police and protesters amid a nationwide mobilisation over rising living costs, fuel prices and education funding in Paris, France, on October 18, 2026. (Hesham Elsherif/Anadolu/Getty Images)
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Two customers sit on the terrace of a cafe on a street covered in debris a day after nationwide protests against the "high cost of living", in Marseille on October 18, 2026. (Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty Images)
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Broken window panels lean against the facade of La Barrique bar and restaurant as debris covers the surrounding pavement following protests in Paris, France, on October 17, 2026. (Clement Souchet/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
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The entrance of a McDonald's fast food restaurant covered in graffiti and damaged a day after nationwide protests against the "high cost of living", in Paris on October 18, 2026. (Matthieu Rondel/AFP/Getty Images)
A photograph shows wreckages of burnt down vehicles in the street of Paris on October 18, 2026 a day after nationwide protests against the "high cost of living." (Matthieu Rondel/AFP/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump weighed in Sunday, blaming immigration for the unrest in a Truth Social post and urging France to close its borders.
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"The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country," he wrote. "Close your borders and take control, before it is too late!"
Amanda Macias covers the intersection of business, economics and politics, with a focus on how policy decisions shape markets, businesses and American workers.
