Footage of violence from French protests goes viral on social media

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 22:25

Looting and clashes on Saturday were widely filmed and shared, with some even live-streamed, particularly on TikTok.

Screenshot from videos showing violence on the sidelines of the October 17, 2026, protests, posted on TikTok.

Manga characters bring rebellion and resilience to French protests

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 21:42

Figures from 'One Piece,' 'Naruto' and 'Dragon Ball' have frequently appeared in protests and on social media.

During the protests at Place de la Victoire, Bordeaux, on October 17, 2026.

Ronaldo gets 30-day suspension for Portugal walkout

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 20:56

Football star received minimum penalty and will also have to pay a 255 euro fine. Disciplinary committee took into account 'the remorse shown' in Ronaldo's October 6 statement.

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the pitch at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon on September 24, 2026.

Curfews announced in Paris and other cities as France grapples with unrest

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 20:01

After a crisis meeting, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government was ready to impose a state of emergency 'if needed.' Paris police announced a curfew from 11 pm on Monday until 6 am Tuesday in certain areas. It also announced a ban on protesting in certain areas from 8 pm to 6 am.

Young French protesters determined to continue: 'The state is violent and property damage is the people's response to that violence'

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 19:00

While they condemned looting and vandalism, high school and university students interviewed by Le Monde after Saturday's nationwide protest contrasted those acts with police brutality. They want to continue what they called a 'joyful' and 'moving' movement until their demands are heard.

Place de Clichy, Paris, October 17, 2026.

City of Paris goes on trial over deadly 2019 gas explosion

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 18:30

The City of Paris and the building's management are charged with 'manslaughter,' 'involuntary injury' and 'destruction by explosion or fire.' The disaster on Rue de Trévise left four dead and more than 200 injured and displaced.

The corner of Rue de Trévise and Rue Sainte-Cécile after the explosion, in Paris's 9th arrondissement, January 12, 2019.

US, China, Germany and UK urge caution to citizens visiting France

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 10:37

More than 2,500 people were arrested after violence broke out amid demonstrations on that saw some half a million people turn out across France to protest against the cost of living.

People look at a charred car on Place de la République the day after a demonstration against rising living costs, joining students' grievances, in Paris, October 18, 2026.

Students block Louvre, leading to sometimes tense exchanges with tourists

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 16:51

Since early morning on Monday, October 19, the Louvre has remained closed to visitors, after students blocked access to show their support for the high school student protest movement.

Demonstrators and students in front of the closed entrance to the Louvre Museum during a protest in support of high school student mobilization, in Paris, on October 19, 2026.

Who is Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the reclusive Houthi leader shaped by war?

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 15:31

At the head of the movement that bears his name, the mysterious Abdul Malik al-Houthi combines religious, political and military authority, without ever appearing in public.

A billboard featuring the image of Houthi leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, on October 11, 2026.

Paris and other cities announce curfews and protest bans as France grapples with unrest

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 14:03

After a crisis meeting, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government was ready to impose a state of emergency 'if needed.' Paris police announced a curfew from 11 pm on Monday until 6 am Tuesday in certain areas. It also announced a ban on protesting in certain areas from 8 pm to 6 am.

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu in Paris, France, October 19, 2026.

'Anger' and 'heartbreak' in French city after fire devastates town hall during protests

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 13:21

On Sunday evening, nearly 7,000 people gathered in Limoges to condemn the violent aftermath of the protests. The mayor blamed the 'ultra-left.' The investigation is ongoing.

A firefighter watched, on his drone screen, the extent of the damage caused by the fire at Limoges city hall, on October 18, 2026.

Israel arrests 10 after West Bank settler attacks on American photographer and French mayor

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 15:00

One day after the beating of a 'Washington Post' photographer, settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats, including the French and Belgian consuls general in Jerusalem and the French mayor.

Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli settlers during olive harvest in Abu Falah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 16, 2026.

Swedish parliament speaker asks Center Party leader to try to form government

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 14:34

In a bid to break the deadlock with neither the left nor the right blocs able to build a majority, speaker Andreas Norlen said he asked Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist to explore the conditions for a 'middle option.'

MPs, including Center Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist attend a session of the Swedish Parliament Riksdagen on October 15, 2026, in Stockholm.

Jeremy Allen White, honesty as a trademark

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 04:30

His role as a sensitive, tormented chef in 'The Bear' catapulted the 35-year-old New York actor into a new league. The worlds of film and fashion have been clamoring for his open masculinity. After taking on the role of Bruce Springsteen, White plays journalist Jeff Horowitz, exposing Facebook's failings in Aaron Sorkin's 'The Social Reckoning.'

Jeremy Allen White, in Paris, on June 24, 2026.

Prime minister calls for local curfews as France grapples with unrest

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 14:03

The Louvre Museum was blocked by protesting students on Monday, while authorities in Marseille said that public gatherings would be banned from noon to 8 pm.

France's Prime Minister Séébastien Lecornu in Paris, France, October 19, 2026.

Protestors block Louvre as France grapples with continuing unrest

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 11:55

The French prime minister said he had asked regional authorities to impose curfews in some cities on Monday evening. Authorities in Marseille said that public gatherings would be banned from noon to 8 pm.

Protesters, including students from the Ecole du Louvre, block the entrance to the Louvre Museum to express their support for the high school students’ movement and to denounce police repression in Paris on October 19, 2026.

Violence in France is a consequence of the last decade's political reconfiguration

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 11:34

The violence on the fringes of protests across France on Saturday is the result of the evolution of the political system during Emmanuel Macron's presidency, marked by the rise of radical parties that promote a conflict-driven vision of society and a confrontational approach.

A statue of Marianne, damaged by protesters during the ransacking of Marseille city hall on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

French police 'lost control' during weekend protests, says interior minister

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 09:23

Laurent Nuñez acknowledged a 'lack of anticipation' in the deployment of security forces during Saturday's nationwide demonstrations, which were marred by large crowds of rioters and looters on the fringes.

French Education Minister Edouard Geffray, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste at a crisis meeting, in Paris, October 18, 2026.

A surreal night in Paris: Looting, selfies and terrace drinks

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 09:16

After nationwide demonstrations that descended into chaos on Saturday, the streets of the French capital still bore the marks of vandalism on Sunday night, alongside the carefree atmosphere of an ordinary weekend.

A man looks inside a Franprix supermarket that was looted, in Paris, during the night of October 18 to 19, 2026.

Trump and Putin claim French protests are evidence of 'migrant chaos' and 'Europe's decline'

Le Monde - Actualités

19 October 2026 at 09:12

The MAGA movement and the Kremlin, along with European far-right groups, described the demonstrations in France as a consequence of immigration and the decline of 'Western civilization,' while other observers saw them as a sign of the Macron era's twilight.

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