Historic Limoges Town Hall suffers extensive damage in fire amid protests
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A fire set during ongoing protests in France destroyed much of the 19th-century Limoges Town Hall, prompting officials to condemn the act and pledge prosecutions.
The 1883 Limoges Town Hall, designated a historic landmark in 1975, was largely destroyed after a fire broke out during the latest wave of demonstrations across France. Local prefect Maurice Barate told AFP that the roof had collapsed onto lower floors, leaving only the west wing intact and that two-thirds of the exterior had vanished. He described the incident as a "deliberate act by hooligans" and called it a "catastrophe for heritage."
President Emmanuel Macron, whose term ends in six months, posted on social media that there is no place for violence in the republic and warned that those who attacked public buildings would be prosecuted. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported around 400 arrests on Saturday, while more than half a million people participated in over 100 marches nationwide. He attributed the unrest to "extremely violent, radical far-left groups" and noted attempts to breach city halls in Lille and Calais and a police station in Brest.
The incident adds to a series of confrontations that have marked the fourth week of anti-government protests over the cost of living, which have also seen clashes in cities such as Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble.