The next day, a nationwide day of protest against the rising cost of living ended in looting, arson and clashes with police. The Interior Ministry counted 550,000 marchers, while the CGT union claimed 800,000. In Limoges, rioters set fire to the 19th-century city hall, which officials said was largely destroyed after its bell tower collapsed. City halls in Lille and Marseille were also damaged, and shops were looted in several cities.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Sunday that more than 2,000 people had been arrested and more than 600 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters injured, describing the figures as provisional. Paris police reported a record 855 arrests in the capital. One protester died after collapsing on a Paris boulevard, a death police said was unrelated to the violence or to police action.
The concert outing came as student protests were already building. Earlier in the week, Macron had said the demands of high school and university students deserved consultation.
The Élysée announced that Macron will address the nation at 8 p.m. Sunday (9 p.m. Israel time), after meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and the relevant ministers.
