Latest protests in France: suspect arrested following city hall fire as French Prime Minister says curfews are working

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The weekend of riots and violence in Milan was caused by a “hybrid war” waged against the West, the Italian Defense Minister warned on Tuesday.

“The events in Milan and elsewhere in Italy are fundamentally different from those observed in other eras,” said Guido Crosetto.

French police have arrested a man suspected of being involved in the fire that gutted Limoges’ historic town hall during the October 17 riots.

The building, dating from 1883, suffered significant damage, with the collapse of its roof and its belfry.

Counterterrorism investigators have joined the investigation, while prosecutors evaluate whether the incident warrants a terrorism investigation.

The arrest comes as the government faces scrutiny over its handling of the unrest and prepares tougher security measures for further protests.

The suspect’s alleged links to ultra-left movements remain part of the investigation, authorities said.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, leading opinion polls ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election, has been accused of exploiting the protests.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, second in the polls, has also been accused of politically profiting from nationwide unrest over the cost of living and education levels.

“The members of Mélenchon’s France Insoumise (LFI) are exploiting the high school movement for their electoral advantage,” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu declared on Wednesday.

He accused them of encouraging protests. “This hypocrisy is detrimental to France.”

The protests, led in part by students demanding better education conditions and improved living standards, attracted more than 500,000 people on Saturday and degenerated into looting and arson, leading to more than 2,500 arrests.

Lecornu has promised curfews if necessary as authorities seek to restore order.

Other protests are planned for Saturday, although France’s main unions have not supported the call.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu acknowledged shortcomings in the government’s handling of Saturday’s protests.

“As with all difficult operations, there are things you get right and things that go wrong,” he said. The World.

“We have nothing to hide.”

In Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and other cities, police were overwhelmed by unprecedented violence and failed to prevent the widespread destruction and looting of thousands of stores.

“We obviously need to better anticipate the demonstrations as they unfold,” declared Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, because “the measures put in place ultimately proved to be asymmetrical in relation to the number of participants.”

Italy is deploying 500 troops to Milan after cost-of-living protests turned into clashes with police, vandalism and looting.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government announced tougher security measures and penalties for rioters, including potential financial liability for parents of children involved in looting or vandalism.

France is also beefing up security ahead of protests planned for Saturday, deploying military personnel to support police and promising a “massive” police presence after last weekend’s riots.

Sunday’s NFL game in Paris between the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers will go ahead as scheduled and under heightened security measures, the league announced Tuesday, following a period of violent unrest that engulfed the French capital.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed on Tuesday that the military would reinforce police as part of a “massive” security operation targeting protests planned for Saturday, following widespread looting and rioting in Paris and other French cities on October 17.

Don’t ever think it can’t happen here. We don’t have the habit of taking to the streets and setting things on fire from time to time like the French do. The last time Paris was in flames, the authorities finally announced that the crisis was over and that the number of cars set on fire in the suburbs had returned to “normal levels”.

Normal levels in London are zero, but we have had riots and looting that seemed to come out of nowhere – the last major outbreak being in the summer of 2011. We have had localized outbreaks of political violence, but what is most alarming is the polarization of opinion and the increasing expression of extreme views.

This is what creates the conditions in which the sparks of disorder are more likely to ignite and trigger a French-style conflagration.

France will deploy its Sentinel military force this Saturday to guard the sites and release police officers to maintain order during planned protests.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has promised a massive police deployment aimed at ensuring an immediate return to calm after the violent unrest of the weekend.

Partial curfews were imposed in several cities, including Paris, Nice and Marseille, after thousands of rioters were arrested during nationwide protests.

The Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, has pledged to respond tirelessly to any new acts of violence.

The riots have spread across Europe to Belgium, Albania and Italy, where 500 soldiers are deployed to defend Milan.

The weekend of riots and violence in Milan was caused by a “hybrid war” waged against the West, the Italian Defense Minister warned on Tuesday.

“The events in Milan and elsewhere in Italy are fundamentally different from those observed in other eras,” said Guido Crosetto.