Crisis meeting held regarding violent protests

 

Agnès Ericson

 

Published 08:49 | Updated 09:19

France is in a state of turmoil.

A special task force is being set up to identify and apprehend the rioters.

Meanwhile, government ministers are gathering for a crisis meeting, and President Macron has refused to accept the resignation of one of his ministers.

More than 2,400 people have been arrested following protests in France—protests that began as expressions of discontent regarding the school system but evolved into demonstrations against the high cost of living.

Over the past few weeks, police and protesters have clashed; on Saturday, October 17, several luxury stores were looted, and town halls were stormed in various cities.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 1,000 emergency responders have been injured.

The unrest continued on Sunday, with shops vandalized in cities including Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. In Paris alone, 351 people were arrested.

Following Macron’s address to the nation on Sunday evening, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is set to convene a crisis meeting with government ministers at 10:00 a.m. on Monday. According to Macron, the objective is to "mobilize support for all those going through difficult times." The President himself is expected to arrive in Kuwait for a scheduled visit.

Special task force established

In the wake of the unrest, police in Paris have established a special task force tasked with reviewing reports and footage of the violence—including material circulated on social media.

"I want to make this clear to the vandals: our investigators will deploy every technical resource at their disposal to identify and track you down," stated the head of the unit, according to Sky News. The police are also urging witnesses to come forward and share footage of the events.

Refusing to let a minister resign

In the midst of the crisis, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez submitted his resignation. However, President Emmanuel Macron has refused to accept it, according to French media.

Macron has stated that "failures in foresight and intelligence" led to the unrest over the weekend, reports BFMTV. In an interview with France Inter, Laurent Nuñez admitted that the police "lost control" in certain cities on Saturday.

The next two weeks mark the autumn school break in France. Consequently, French authorities are hoping for a calmer period ahead, the BBC reports. However, new protests are already being planned for November 5, including by the "Yellow Vests" movement.