France was rocked by violent, destructive riots across the country on Saturday.
Reports detailed some of the crazier moments in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Limoges. Police were violently attacked with bricks and other projectiles, with rioters even firing firework mortars at them. The agitators also looted high-end stores and lit government buildings on fire, most notably a tourist office in a historic building and the Limoges town hall, which was 143 years old. It survived the Nazis, but under radical leftists, its distinctive bell tower and roof collapsed, and it sustained extensive damage. They spray-painted Antifa symbols and expressions on buildings and monuments, including inside the town hall in Marseille after they broke down the door and got in.
There was considerable damage across the country and a lot of people were hurt. French authorities said Sunday that nearly 1,800 people had been arrested nationwide, including 855 in the Paris region. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. One protester died after suffering cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris, authorities said.
French President Emmanuel Macron didn't post about the riots until hours later on Saturday. When he finally did, his statement was a tepid "No room for violence in our Republic," along with a promise that those responsible would be prosecuted and punished.
Earlier in the week, Macron had already signaled weakness, claiming young people had "legitimate concerns." This set the stage for more problems, even as he called on Friday for "calm and respect" ahead of Saturday’s planned demonstrations. The unrest had already turned violent well before Saturday's escalation, yet his administration seemed unprepared for the inevitable.
Yet guess where Macron was on Friday night? That revelation is earning him a lot of backlash, and rightly so.
He wasn't preparing with his government for more trouble. He was at a Celine Dion concert with his wife.
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were spotted at Dion’s concert at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, according to French media reports. The couple reportedly arrived and left discreetly and were among roughly 35,000 spectators at the performance.
People ripped into Macron on X, comparing him to Nero, fiddling while Rome burned, and Marie Antoinette.
The sentiment was clear: "Let them eat brioche." A French leader, embodying aristocratic detachment, while his nation plunged into chaos.
This raised more questions about the government's preparations for the riots, particularly given the protests and unrest that had been going on since mid-September, escalating significantly on Saturday.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attributed the unrest to the "ultra-left" and criminals, while opposition leaders criticized the government's handling of the violence. Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen condemned the looting and destruction. However, left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon defended the protesters’ grievances and bizarrely accused Lecornu of "playing with fire," according to reports.
No, it was the radical leftists and their compatriots, often waving Palestinian flags, who were "playing with fire" – setting buildings ablaze and attacking law enforcement.
Macron is expected to address the nation on Sunday night, likely in a desperate attempt to quell the widespread backlash.
But at this point, it's doubtful whether his belated words can restore public trust or offer any real solutions to a nation reeling from his detached leadership. The American people understand that strong leadership means confronting chaos, not ignoring it from the comfort of a concert hall. France deserves better than a leader who appears more interested in celebrity than in upholding law and order and protecting his citizens.
