Limoges City Hall Burns in Protests, Prompting Curfews After €500,000 Damage
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Oct 23
Limoges City Hall Burns in Protests, Prompting Curfews After €500,000 Damage
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Oct 23
Summary
Two men, aged 66 and 34, were arrested after Limoges' 19th-century city hall was left charred and its wooden clock tower collapsed during last weekend's nationwide unrest.
Hundreds of thousands of mostly young protesters have expanded demonstrations from school conditions to broader anger over living costs, poverty and a weak economy ahead of France's presidential election in six months.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu visited Limoges on Friday as authorities banned some demonstrations, increased police deployments and imposed overnight curfews plus a 10-person gathering limit in the city centre.
Residents and protesters alike called the town hall a symbol of the republic, but many also said the destruction reflected a deeper divide over whether property damage matters more than worsening hardship.
With France facing one of Europe's biggest fiscal deficits and more protests planned, Limoges has become a flashpoint in a polarized national debate that could shape the election campaign.