Macron to address France after new protest figures
The number of injured police officers, gendarmes and firefighters has risen to more than 500.
Follow-up to: Macron speaks out against violence after French day of protests Sunday, 18 October 2026, 09:02
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French authorities say that more than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured during Saturday’s protests. President Emmanuel Macron will address the public on Sunday evening after about 1,800 people were detained across the country.
The new figures were announced on Sunday by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. According to the authorities, more than 500 members of the police, gendarmerie and fire service were injured. The government had earlier reported about 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police officers and gendarmes.
The protests were directed against the rising cost of living and the state of public services, including education. Clashes, fires and looting broke out in several cities. In Limoges, the historic town hall suffered serious damage after a fire broke out.
Macron will first hold talks with government officials on Sunday afternoon. His address is scheduled for 8pm, according to his office. The president has previously said that the right to demonstrate is fundamental, but that violence and attacks on people and buildings cannot be accepted.
The authorities and organisers have given different estimates of the size of the demonstrations. According to the government, about 550,000 people took part; organisers put the figure at around 800,000. Such differences are common at large protests and in themselves say nothing about support for individual demands.
The new figures therefore mainly change the picture of the consequences of the day of protest. Investigations are still under way into the precise circumstances of individual incidents and the balance between peaceful demonstrators and violent groups. Macron is expected to try to separate the right to protest from the destruction and attacks reported by the government.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The authorities report about 1,800 arrests and more than 500 injured police officers, gendarmes and firefighters.
- Macron has announced an address for Sunday evening.
- The demonstrations concerned, among other things, the cost of living and public services.
- The government’s and organisers’ estimates of the number of participants differ.
Left
Arguments From this perspective, the protests show that high costs and deteriorating public services require political responses. A heavy-handed response must not silence peaceful demonstrators.
Values Social equality, public services and the right to collective action.
Consequences An exclusively security-focused response could increase distrust and allow the underlying problems to persist.
Centre
Arguments The state must protect the right to demonstrate while prosecuting violence, looting and attacks on emergency workers. An independent assessment of arrests and police conduct is needed.
Values The rule of law, proportionality and administrative stability.
Consequences A combination of targeted enforcement and negotiations could limit escalation, but requires time and credible information.
Right
Arguments The government’s first duty is to protect public order, property and emergency workers. Those who use violence should not, in this view, be shielded by the peaceful nature of the broader demonstration.
Values Security, authority and the protection of citizens and property.
Consequences A softer response could, from this perspective, provoke new riots; overly broad repression could instead further undermine authority.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The key figures and the planned televised address have been confirmed by independent news sources. Different estimates of the size of the demonstration have been presented as uncertainty.
- confirmed French authorities reported more than 500 injured police officers, gendarmes and firefighters. — Reported by the French interior minister and carried by AP and Reuters. source
- confirmed About 1,800 people were detained. — The figure was reported by French authorities on Sunday. source
- confirmed Macron was due to address the public at 8pm on Sunday. — His office announced that schedule. source
- confirmed The government and organisers gave different estimates of the number of participants. — AP reports about 550,000 according to the authorities and about 800,000 according to organisers. source
Editor's note
The new figures and the planned address have been confirmed by reporting from AP and Reuters-related sources. Estimates of the number of demonstrators differ; that uncertainty is stated explicitly.Sources
- French police arrest 1,800 after violent clashes and looting mar protests — AP News
- Le gouvernement critiqué après les violences en marge des manifestations du 17 octobre — Boursorama, op basis van Reuters
The story so far
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 08:22 French protests escalate again in several cities
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 09:02 Macron speaks out against violence after French day of protests
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 09:43 French government reports around 1,200 arrests during day of protests
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 11:03 Paris reports arrests after protests
- Sunday, 18 October 2026, 14:22 Macron to address France after new protest figures (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „frankrijk protesten”
- AD — „frankrijk protesten”
- de Volkskrant — „frankrijk protesten”