The Limoges City Hall, devoured by flames on the day of protests in France

The Limoges Town Hall, a building declared a historical monument and built in the last quarter of the 19th century, was practically destroyed this Saturday by a fire caused during an attack by protesters who were participating in the day of social protests in France.

“There are no words to condemn what has happened, it is so abject,” declared the mayor of this city in central France, Guillaume Guérin, in statements to the media this evening, four hours after several hundred people set fire to City Hall around 5:00 p.m. and left several cars overturned in front of the building.

The assailants were quickly evacuated, but the flames could not be extinguished and spread to the upper floors and reached the roof, which ended up collapsing.

"Starting tomorrow we are going to ensure continuity of the service, we are going to organize ourselves. They have destroyed a building that the inhabitants of Limoges love, but they have not destroyed the public service. It is a monument that burns, but not the Republic," said Guérin.

The first mayor was convinced that justice will act and sent "a message to the criminals: 'You will be arrested."

In his opinion, the national police who were in charge of security for the protests in the city “did not have sufficient means” to contain “the thousand” violent protesters who participated in the parade.