France arrests nearly 2,400 as Macron vows crackdown on unrest

Nearly 2,400 people were arrested in France on Sunday amid some of the worst urban violence in years, with nearly 1,000 police injured, as President Emmanuel Macron vowed an uncompromising response and increased security without declaring a state of emergency. The unrest, sparked by cost-of-living protests, saw tear gas deployed in Paris, looting in Lyon, and fires at public buildings including Limoges' 19th-century town hall. Macron distinguished between protesters with "legitimate demands" and "agitators" from ultra-left groups, while ordering an investigation into police preparation. The violence comes months before a presidential election, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen criticizing Macron's administration as "exhausted," while hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon urged a positive resolution. US President Donald Trump blamed immigration, and two teenagers were seriously injured by crowd-control grenades.