Key facts
- An estimated 1,500 shops and businesses were looted and destroyed.
- About 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday.
- President Macron's televised address on Sunday was criticized for lacking concrete detail.
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is convening a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday following a weekend marked by widespread looting and public disorder, described as some of the worst in modern French history. The unrest followed Saturday's demonstrations, which began peacefully with over half a million people protesting against the cost of living and public services, but escalated when masked activists appeared. An estimated 1,500 businesses were damaged, and about 1,000 police officers were injured. President Emmanuel Macron's televised address on Sunday, calling for national unity and promising punishment for perpetrators, has drawn criticism for its lack of concrete solutions regarding accountability, city protection, business compensation, and dialogue on education.