After riots: Arrest after arson in Limoges town hall

Limoges' historic town hall was badly damaged in Saturday's riots. Investigators have now arrested a man known to the police who was allegedly involved in the arson.

Limoges. After the fire in the town hall of the central French city of Limoges during the nationwide riots at the weekend, the police have now caught a man suspected of being involved in the arson. Special forces arrested the suspect in a town in the surrounding area, the public prosecutor said.

As several French media reported, it is a left-wing extremist known to the police who is listed by the authorities as security-related. According to information from broadcaster RTL, the suspect is already known to investigators for violence against public officials.

Severe damage after arson

In the city with around 130,000 inhabitants, the magnificent, listed town hall was set on fire and badly damaged by rioters on Saturday. For the investigation, the Organized and Specialized Crime Directorate in Limoges was reinforced by investigators from the Counter-Terrorism Sub-Directorate, the public prosecutor's office said. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is expected in Limoges on Friday.

Serious riots and violence broke out on the sidelines of nationwide demonstrations against high costs of living, in which hundreds of thousands of people took part, mostly peacefully, on Saturday. The government primarily attributes this to left-wing extremists.