Macron condemns violence after worst night of rioting in France in years

French President Emmanuel Macron has described feeling anger and shame over what he called attempts by violent protesters to undermine the republic. He made the comments in a televised address on Sunday following a weekend of some of the most severe urban unrest France has seen in years.

According to the country's Interior Ministry, nearly 2,400 people were arrested on Saturday, while around 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured during the disturbances.

Macron said a clear line must be drawn between demonstrators voicing legitimate grievances and those responsible for destruction, vandalism and looting. He vowed that those involved in rioting and looting would face consequences for their actions.

The president said he would set up a crisis unit to deliver urgent support to people affected by the unrest, and indicated that the government would review what had happened to prevent a repeat of the violence.

He noted that law enforcement officers had faced an unprecedented level of violence in multiple cities despite their professionalism, and said he had instructed the government to draw lessons from the events and put measures in place to stop similar incidents occurring again. Macron called for national unity, calm and mutual respect in the aftermath of the unrest.