French authorities arrested a 34-year-old watchlist suspect on Tuesday after a fire gutted the 19th-century city hall in Limoges during nationwide cost-of-living protests.
Suspect Arrested Over Limoges Town Hall Fire
French authorities arrested the 34-year-old main suspect on Tuesday morning in Val d’Issoire, located about 30 miles from the central city of Limoges.
Police described the man as an ultra-left militant
belonging to a violent radical-left group.
The suspect is known to police for acts of violence against public officials.
He is classified as an “S” subject on France’s national security watchlist, indicating a potential threat.
Investigators connect him to the weekend blaze that engulfed the clock tower and roof of the ornate, 19th-century municipal building before the structures collapsed.
Limoges Mayor Guillaume Guerin warned that the landmark requires massive rebuilding and threatened to resign if the central government does not fund the project.
Curfews Imposed as Protests Sweep France
The destruction in Limoges unfolded during a weekend of intense nationwide demonstrations. Rallies brought together former Yellow Vests, students, climate activists, and farmers.
Organizers have already announced a second round of demonstrations for Saturday, with the gilets jaunes movement planning “Act II” following their 2018 mobilizations.
The unrest turned violent in multiple cities, with rioters setting fire to cars and buildings and looting businesses.
The head of France’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry reported that more than 2,000 shops and businesses were directly impacted.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez acknowledged that police had lost control
in certain areas over the weekend.
Nuñez offered his resignation on Monday, but President Emmanuel Macron rejected it.
Police Arrest Thousands as Cities Impose Curfews
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that 149 people were in detention following the weekend demonstrations.
Suspect arrested in France after fire at Limoges city hallhttps://t.co/5G9e7btKf3
Almost 150 individuals have already been convicted and sentenced to prison for violence or property damage.
Total arrests since the disorder began have exceeded 2,500.
Clashes during the protests left approximately 1,000 police officers injured.
One demonstrator suffered the amputation of a hand from a police crowd-control grenade.
Marseille mayor Benoît Payan announced overnight curfews for minors in commercial areas starting Tuesday evening.
Paris police extended an overnight curfew that the Préfecture de Police stated would continue for as long as it proves necessary
.
Curfews were also renewed in central Lyon, Nice, Lille, and Bordeaux.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu credited the targeted measures with securing a quiet night on Monday and noted that further restrictions would depend on local conditions.
Lecornu did not rule out a full state of emergency.
Darmanin rejected the measure, arguing that France did not need to deprive all French people of their individual freedoms
.
Lecornu vowed a massive police presence to meet protesters at the scheduled Saturday demonstrations.
