Riots in France – Government admits authorities have ‘lost control’

Following the violent protests at the weekend, the French Government is examining how this could have happened. Home Secretary Nuñez has offered his resignation, whilst Justice Minister Darmanin has identified shortcomings within the authorities. According to Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, the serious riots in France have exposed weaknesses in the security apparatus. Whilst the security authorities dealt very effectively with threats from terrorists and organised crime, they failed to do so with far-left demonstrators, Darmanin told the TV channel France 2. “Quite clearly, they are not taking effective action against the far left,” Darmanin explained. Over the weekend, particularly on Saturday, protests against the high cost of living and shortcomings in the education system had escalated further across the country. The Ministry of the Interior holds the far-left scene primarily responsible for this. A further 350 arrests According to the Ministry of Justice, 2,331 people were taken into police custody across the country over the weekend. In Paris alone, a further 350 people were arrested on Sunday and during the night leading into Monday, as Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced. Criminal proceedings are being brought against more than 80 per cent of them. Several dozen suspects have already been remanded in custody. Among other things, shops were looted, buildings and vehicles were set alight, and demonstrators engaged in street battles with the police. The police had, amongst other things, used tear gas. According to the Ministry of the Interior, 997 police officers and other security personnel were injured over the weekend, seven of them seriously. There were also numerous injuries amongst the demonstrators. In Paris, one demonstrator suffered a cardiac arrest and died. Macron rejects Nuñez’s offer to resign In response to the weekend’s events, Interior Minister Nuñez had offered his resignation. However, President Emmanuel Macron rejected the offer, citing the need to maintain the chain of command within the police and security forces. Nuñez had previously admitted to mistakes. “Given the damage caused, it is only natural that I should tender my resignation,” he said this morning on the radio station France Inter. The security authorities had underestimated the number of people taking part in the protests. In some cities, the police had lost control. The authorities had expected around 200,000 participants nationwide on Saturday – in the end, there were significantly more. “There was, of course, an imbalance” between the law enforcement agencies and the people on the streets, as well as “a loss of control” in some major cities, according to Nuñez. “Everything will be done to ensure that something like this does not happen again.” Braun-Pivet calls for a committee of inquiry Macron has now instructed Nuñez to draw up new strategies for dealing with looters as quickly as possible. Speaker of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet proposed setting up a select committee to investigate not only the looting but also the police’s operational strategies. The authorities in the country’s second-largest city, Marseille, responded today by imposing a ban on public gatherings. This is to apply from 12:00 to 20:00 to prevent further riots. President Macron had already announced in a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening that he would consider imposing bans on public gatherings in consultation with local authorities. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has ordered limited curfews. He said he had instructed the prefects to impose “very limited” and “local” curfews in the cities to prevent further riots and looting. Foreign Office advises caution Due to the tense situation in the neighbouring country, the Foreign Office advises travellers to France to exercise caution. “Be cautious and avoid demonstrations where possible,” state the travel advice on the ministry’s website. Further protests and unrest in the coming days cannot be ruled out. Travellers should follow instructions from the French security forces. Meanwhile, the ‘Yellow Vests’ protest movement has announced new demonstrations for next Saturday. With information from Carolin Dylla, ARD Paris Bureau