Limoges: town hall set alight during protest of 5,000 people
A demonstration against the rising cost of living turned violent on Saturday in Limoges, with clashes with police and the town hall being set on fire. A suspect was arrested on Tuesday.
Town hall fire in Limoges following unrest
According to Le Figaro, the prefecture of Haute-Vienne experienced a chaotic Saturday marked by confrontations with police forces and a fire that destroyed the belfry of the town hall. More than 5,000 protesters had gathered for a nationwide demonstration against the rising cost of living.
The march took place in the early afternoon in an initially peaceful atmosphere, bringing together "yellow vests" and members of the CGT. No prior declaration had been filed for this demonstration, according to prefect Maurice Barate. Events escalated in the evening with the town hall building catching fire and the collapse of its belfry.
On Tuesday morning, three days after the incidents, a suspect was arrested in Val-d'Issoire by the Bordeaux Raid unit. The man, 34 years old and from Creuse, is described by a police source as "a far-left activist already on the S-file". He was also known to the authorities for previous convictions for "violence against a person invested with public authority".
Source: Le Figaro