France’s Interior Minister Says Police Lost Control During Weekend Protests

The protests took place amid concerns over education and the cost of living, according to reporting by RFI and France 24. The available reports describe unrest in cities across France, with Saturday identified as the day of the protests, but they do not establish a more precise calendar date for the events.

Nuñez acknowledged that police or other security forces had lost control in some cities. He said there had been a lack of anticipation in preparations for the protests, an admission also reported by RFI, France 24 and The Guardian.

According to The Guardian, Nuñez also acknowledged that police numbers had sometimes been inadequate to deal with rioters and looters. TIME reported that looting occurred and that buildings were burned during the unrest; the supplied evidence does not provide a precise account of the damage.

Nuñez said he felt responsible and tendered his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron. Macron did not accept it and retained the interior minister in office, according to France 24 and The Hindu.

The Guardian reported that Macron demanded a full security review and new operational methods in response to the unrest. The supplied reports do not establish precise casualty, arrest or damage figures, the exact number of affected cities, or the full sequence of events.