France's worst riots in years: How they erupted and how the government responded

France experienced its worst civil unrest in years over the weekend, with rioters clashing with police, setting cars on fire, and storming public buildings, including a historic city hall in flames, resulting in about 2,400 arrests and thousands of damaged or looted businesses. The violence overshadowed peaceful protests against rising living costs and poor school conditions, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to denounce "unrestrained violence" by "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals." Authorities imposed localized curfews, including in two Paris areas, and Macron ordered an investigation into intelligence failures that may have underestimated the violence. The damage is comparable to the peak of the 2018 "yellow vest" protests, according to researcher Sebastian Roché, who noted this unrest is distinct for police-inflicted injuries, with six people maimed in three weeks—a toll unseen in 40 years. Student groups and activists have called for more demonstrations, including a planned Saturday protest under the slogan "Macron must go."