Macron Rejects Interior Minister Nuñez’s Resignation Offer After Weekend of Nationwide Riots

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron has declined an offer by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to step down following a weekend of widespread rioting and looting across France, the Élysée Palace announced on Monday.

In a statement, the presidential office said President Macron had asked Mr. Nuñez to remain in his post in order to preserve continuity in the chain of command within the police and security forces. The President also instructed the Interior Minister to devise, as quickly as possible, new methods for dealing with looters, and to take every necessary step to ensure transparency regarding the failures in planning and intelligence that allowed the violence to occur.

The unrest grew out of nationwide demonstrations by students protesting educational conditions and by groups angered over the high cost of living and underfunded public services, which escalated into riots and looting in several cities. More than half a million people took part in Saturday’s protests, according to reports.

The Ministry of the Interior said more than 2,300 people were arrested and nearly 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured during Saturday’s protests. Injuries were also reported among demonstrators, including one protester whose hand was severed by a police crowd-control grenade. Fresh clashes subsequently broke out in Paris and Marseille, where riot police intervened to prevent attempts to ransack businesses.

Mr. Nuñez acknowledged on Monday that the police had “lost control” during the weekend’s events. He had offered his resignation amid mounting criticism of the authorities’ response and the scale of the damage.

As calm began to return, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said he had asked local authorities to impose partial curfews beginning on Monday evening. Restrictions, including bans on gatherings and demonstrations and, in some areas, curfews applying only to minors, were announced in cities including Lyon and Nice, as the government moved to review the official response to the riots and strategies to prevent a recurrence.