France: Macron rejects interior minister Nunez resignation after nationwide riots

French President Emmanuel Macron has officially declined Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's offer to resign following the severe, nationwide riots and widespread civil unrest that swept across Paris, France.

Beyond the capital, violence erupted in cities like Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Limoges—where a historic 19th-century town hall was largely destroyed by a deliberately set fire.

President Emmanuel Macron and top government officials condemned the extreme violence as "unacceptable," deploying heavy security forces using tear gas and water cannons to restore order.

The Elysée Palace stated that keeping Nuñez in office is essential to maintaining an unbroken chain of command within the police and security forces during an active national crisis.

While rejecting the resignation, President Macron explicitly criticized planning and intelligence "failures" that allowed the demonstrations to erupt into widespread arson, looting, and clashes.

As reported, the widespread protest has been sparked by public anger over rising living costs, faltering public services and also the state of schools.

In response, Macron has ordered Nuñez to rapidly implement new operational methods and security frameworks to better handle looters and ensure full transparency regarding the security lapses that preceded the weekend's violence.

As reported, nationwide demonstrations erupted into riots on Saturday, October 17, with a town hall torched, shops pillaged and buildings covered in graffiti as violent groups clashed with police in cities.

More clashes also broke out in Paris and Marseille on Sunday, where riot police intervened to prevent attempts to ransack businesses.