France’s Macron declines minister’s resignation after violent protests

By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and Reuters. Published On 19 Oct 202619 Oct 2026.

Key points

• The Ministry of the Interior remarked more than 2, 300 residents were arrested and almost 1, 000 police and gendarmes injured in protests on Saturday.
• Nationwide, more than 2, 330 individuals were taken into police custody over the weekend, 70 percent of whom were adults, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin stated.
• Nunez remarked concerning 350 individuals were arrested in Paris on Sunday and overnight.
• He estimated that 60, 000 law enforcement personnel were deployed nationwide that day.
• More than half a million individuals took part in the protests on Saturday.

French ⁠President ⁠Emmanuel Macron has declined Interior Minister Laurent Nunez's offer to resign ⁠after nationwide demonstrations by students protesting educational conditions and groups angry over the high cost of living turned into widespread riots and looting, the Elysee presidential office notes.

Macron remarked Nunez should stay in his position to ensure the chain of command is maintained within the police and security forces and asked the interior minister ⁠to establish new methods to agreement with looters, the Elysee noted in an official note on ⁠Monday.

Notably, the president additionally asked Nunez to "take all necessary steps to ensure transparency over the failures in planning and intelligence that led to the violence", the statement went on.

For context, the Ministry of the Interior remarked more than 2, 300 residents were arrested and almost 1, 000 police and gendarmes injured in protests on Saturday. Injuries were additionally noted among protesters, with one demonstrator's hand blown off by a police crowd-control grenade.

For context, the nationwide demonstrations brought together students demanding better conditions in the French education system and residents protesting against the high cost of living and faltering public services.

More than half a million individuals took part in the protests on Saturday. Looting, arson and damage to property occurred in plenty of cities, with masked rioters attacking town halls, police stations and other administration buildings. Nunez acknowledged on Monday that police "lost control" during the protests.

"On Saturday in some major cities, you couldn't look shopkeepers in the eye after hundreds of shops had been looted and tell them we hadn't lost control, " Nunez remarked.

Nunez acknowledged a "lack of anticipation" in the deployment of security forces on Saturday, saying their numbers were insufficient to accord with the substantial crowds of rioters and looters on the fringes of the demonstrations.

"Given the damage that has been caused, it was only right that I should hand in my resignation, " Nunez remarked.

Looting continued on Sunday, and Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire remarked on Monday that concerning 30 shops had been targeted in the capital the previous day, describing the scenes as "unbearable".

In practice, the violent weekend demonstrations followed weeks of protests by high school students against overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and underinvestment in education, the biggest youth-led protest movement in the country in recent memory.

Taken together, the developments around france's Macron declines minister's resignation after violent protests point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.