Video: 143-year-old French town hall goes up in flames as riots escalate

A historic French landmark dating back to 1883 has suffered extensive destruction as protests over the cost of living turn violent. With hundreds arrested nationwide, authorities face mounting questions over attacks on public buildings.

In Short

• The roof collapses onto lower floors, while two-thirds of the exterior is lost
• Around 400 people are arrested as over half a million join marches across France
• Police use tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups in Paris

A historic town hall in France’s Limoges has been “largely lost” after a fire broke out during violent protests over the cost of living, with the building’s roof collapsing onto its lower floors and two-thirds of its exterior already destroyed.

The blaze at Limoges Town Hall, a historic monument built in 1883 and designated a landmark in 1975, was described by local prefect Maurice Barate as a deliberate act of arson.

“The roof has collapsed onto lower floors, except the west wing, and two-thirds of the exterior has already disappeared,” Barate told AFP.

Calling the destruction “a deliberate act by hooligans”, he described it as a “catastrophe for heritage”.

The fire broke out amid unrest that swept across France on Saturday as demonstrators took to the streets over the rising cost of living. The protests, which have included violent clashes and attacks on public buildings, have entered their fourth week.

MACRON CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Outgoing French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence, saying there was no place for it in the country’s republic.

“There is no place for violence in our republic,” Macron wrote on social media on Saturday.

“Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished,” he added, according to a translation of his French-language post.

Macron also expressed support for law enforcement personnel tasked with protecting the right to demonstrate, while condemning those he accused of seeking to undermine public institutions.

“To the law enforcement forces, guarantors of the right to demonstrate, I express the support of the Nation,” he wrote.

“We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who seek only to bring down our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so.”

Macron is due to leave office in six months.

AROUND 400 ARRESTED AS PROTESTS SPREAD ACROSS FRANCE

Around 400 people were arrested on Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nuez said, as more than half a million people took part in over 100 marches across France.

The demonstrations, initially centred on grievances over the cost of living, have been accompanied by violent incidents in several cities.

Masked groups attempted to break into town halls in Lille and Calais, as well as a police station in Brest, Nuez said. Violence was also reported in Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble, among other cities.

The interior minister blamed the unrest on “extremely violent, radical far-left groups”.

Although many demonstrations remained peaceful, others descended into riots, with public buildings and businesses among the targets.

POLICE USE TEAR GAS AND WATER CANNONS IN PARIS

In Paris, police used tear gas and water cannons on Saturday to disperse violent groups during clashes at Place de la Rpublique.

People wearing hoods and masks threw fireworks and other objects at officers, according to the account of the unrest.

The damage to Limoges Town Hall has raised fresh concerns over the impact of the protests on France’s public institutions and cultural heritage. The historic building’s destruction comes as authorities grapple with continuing demonstrations, arrests and violence across the country.

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