France unrest: Extremists may exploit riots without organizing them, experts say

France is facing its worst civil unrest in years after student protests over school conditions merged with cost-of-living demonstrations, leading to riots that injured nearly 1,000 police and damaged about 3,000 businesses. Authorities arrested approximately 2,400 people over the weekend, with violence erupting in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and other cities, including an arson attack on Limoges' City Hall. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered his resignation, which President Macron rejected, while localized curfews were imposed. Experts say economic hardship drives the protests, but small radical groups can provoke violence without organizing the broader movement. There is insufficient evidence linking Islamist networks to the riots, though extremists could exploit the instability for propaganda and recruitment.