French police arrest carpenter over Limoges city hall fire

A 34-year-old carpenter was arrested Tuesday in connection with the arson attack on Limoges city hall, a fire that collapsed the building's 43-meter campanile and became a symbol of the October 17 social unrest. The suspect is currently in police custody. Identified through video analysis by anti-terrorism investigators, Hodei C. D. was detained at his family home in a hamlet near Val-d'Issoire, Haute-Vienne. He is flagged "S" for ties to radical environmentalism and was previously convicted in 2026 for assaulting a police officer. The suspect lives in a community of ecologist and anarchist activists, and his father was sentenced in April for a series of 2020-2021 arson attacks protesting 5G and Linky meters. The suspect remains presumed innocent pending possible indictment after the 96-hour custody period.