Watch VIDEO of the moment that city hall tower in France collapses during a fire caused by protests

Residents of the city of Limoges, in southwestern France, woke up in shock this Sunday (18) in front of the ruins of the local town hall.

The ornate 19th-century neo-Renaissance-style building, which survived two world wars, was set on fire by a group of masked men during the biggest wave of protests to hit the country in recent years.

On Saturday night (17), witnesses watched helplessly as the flames destroyed the roof and toppled the clock tower. The scene revived in the memory of the French the collapse of the tower of Notre-Dame Cathedral, in the 2019 fire.

"It broke my heart. I saw Notre-Dame all over again, only this time it was our city", said Françoise Faurie, who witnessed the attack. She planned to celebrate her granddaughter's christening there next month.

The national government representative in the region, Maurice Barate, classified the destruction as a "heritage catastrophe".

According to him, the roof collapsed onto the lower floors, sparing only the west wing, and much of the exterior was destroyed.

Inspired by Paris City Hall, the building was a listed monument, opened in 1883. Its central clock tower rose 43 meters high over the square.

Under blue skies this Sunday, onlookers gathered at the site while experts assessed the damage.

The city's mayor, Guillaume Guerin, reported that local police were quickly overwhelmed by a mob of hundreds of people.

According to him, the vandals broke windows and used a battering ram (a heavy log used for breaking in) to break down the main door.

"The logistics, organization and premeditation behind yesterday's attack on city hall is something I find unbearable," Guerin told reporters.

The mayor — who is center-right — complained that there were not enough police personnel to protect the historic building, as national security forces had been deployed to contain street protests.

"I didn't have a single national police officer to protect the city hall. This country is going bad, this country is going very bad, and it's a small provincial mayor who is saying this", criticized Guerin.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Guerin threatened to resign from his position if the city does not receive the 1 million euros (about R$5.69 million) needed to repair the building.

For retired nurse Edith Lorcen, who observed the ruins of the square, the feeling was one of indignation at the maliciousness of the attacks. "I'm disgusted. I'm hurt," she said. "But it doesn't help at all if we add more hate on top of hate."