French officials blame far left for protest violence; Paris prosecutor cannot confirm

France's government has pointed to the radical left as responsible for violence during nationwide protests on 17 October, while the Paris prosecutor said she could not confirm that the people who committed the violence were far-left, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo reported. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, speaking after a cross-government crisis meeting, accused the radical left of trying to organise deep disorder in the country until the presidential election next April. [ 1 , 2 ]

Lecornu also said a broad force existed that could act to call into question the election timetable and the election itself, and that he would hold a separate review meeting with the interior minister and intelligence services. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on TF1 on 19 October that the national counter-terrorism prosecutor's office was observing and would decide whether to take the case. He said that if it did, it would mean an act of terrorism and that far-left figures had clearly organised the actions and destruction. [ 1 , 2 ]

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau (로르 베퀴오) said in a TF1 interview the same day that she could not confirm the claim that those who committed violence were far-left. She said most of those arrested were little known to police, many were staying silent and had not stated political demands, and that determining their leanings was very complicated. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise, wrote on X that he had never heard anyone speak that way at any protest. He said that if the prime minister was neither a liar nor an agitator, he should name those he meant and prove his claim, or apologise and stay quiet. [ 1 , 2 ]

On 17 October the government estimated 550,000 people took part in protests over living costs and fuel, while organisers said 800,000. Most stayed peaceful, but some violent participants looted shops and set fire to public buildings. Darmanin said 2,513 people were in custody, more than 500 had been sent to court and 67 were already jailed. He said he had told all prosecutors' offices to apply organised-crime charges and that custody for questioning would be extended from 48 to 72 hours, with location tracking, phone interception and the criminal records database becoming available. The government also announced local curfews in some districts of Paris and other cities, with Lecornu saying their purpose was to protect people and property, especially shops, and that a state of emergency remained possible. [ 1 , 2 ]

Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo, citing the Financial Times and other foreign media, reported that the Black Bloc, a far-left group, is suspected of helping turn the protests into riots and looting. In Paris, people dressed in black threw stones at police and set fires at Place de la République hours before the official march began, and about 3,000 shops across France were looted or damaged. A 34-year-old man on a security watch list over suspected far-left links was arrested over the fire at the Limoges town hall. Limoges mayor Guillaume Guérin (기욤 게랭) told Le Monde that far-left activists had brought fireworks, mortars and a battering ram for breaking doors. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo, citing a French security source, said about 5,000 far-left individuals are considered at risk of violent action. Both also reported that the government and prosecutors had not yet presented concrete evidence that far-left groups led the looting. Yonhap added that Donald Trump and European far-right politicians describe the violence as chaos caused by failed immigration policy, but that no evidence had been confirmed that immigrants led the riots. A Yonhap summary published on 22 October described a dispute over whether anarchist far-left agitators or migrants are to blame. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]