Suspect arrested over Limoges town hall arson amid nationwide riots

French police have arrested a man suspected of setting fire to Limoges city hall during nationwide unrest, authorities said. The detained individual is described by security services as a left‑wing extremist known to the police.

Special police units carried out the arrest in a settlement near Limoges, and investigators from an anti‑terrorism division have taken over the case. Officials say the suspect is already on security files and has been linked in the past to violent incidents against state officials. He lives in the neighbouring Creuse department.

Damage and context

The arrest follows a blaze that gutted the imposing, 143‑year‑old city hall — a protected cultural monument — in the central French city of about 130,000 inhabitants. Witnesses reported that masked demonstrators entered the building with the apparent intention to set it alight; the fire caused the collapse of the town hall’s bell tower.

The violence took place on the margins of protests held across France over high living costs and problems in the education system. The unrest included looting of thousands of shops, attacks on municipal buildings and police stations, and numerous arson incidents. The government has said left‑wing extremists are behind much of the violence.

“A large part of the building is lost,” said prefect Maurice Barat. Limoges mayor Guillaume Guérin criticized police for lacking the resources to control the situation and said security forces had pulled back before the rioters in Limoges and other towns. Guérin called for restoration of the city hall.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced possible state aid for reconstruction and described the damaged city hall as “a symbol of a nation that does not allow itself to be broken or intimidated.” Lecornu is due to visit Limoges on Friday.

Photo: press material from the event