The French government was locked in crisis talks on Sunday after a day of violence described as the worst in years left public buildings burned, hundreds of shops destroyed and looted, and more than 2,000 people arrested across the country. President Emmanuel Macron, who is standing down next spring, prepared to address the nation on Sunday night as politicians on the left and right called for the resignation of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, accusing the government of being caught off guard by the scale of the unrest.
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Emmanuel Macron
President of France since 2017
France is counting the cost of a devastating weekend of protests that saw 1,800 people arrested, a 19th-century town hall burned down and hundreds of shops looted. The violence, which erupted during cost-of-living demonstrations by the 'Yellow Vest' movement, has left President Emmanuel Macron facing a major political crisis months before he leaves office.