Limoges historic town hall severely damaged as roof and tower collapse amid nationwide protests

A fire engulfed the 1883 Limoges town hall, causing the roof to collapse onto lower floors and bringing down the clock tower. Masked individuals broke into the building and set the blaze, which the prefect Maurice Barate called a deliberate act of vandalism and a "heritage catastrophe." The incident occurred as France entered the fourth week of cost‑of‑living demonstrations, with authorities reporting roughly 550,000 participants and organizers claiming up to 800,000.

Police and gendarmes suffered close to 1,000 injuries and nearly 2,400 arrests were made. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence and attributed much of it to far‑left activists, while investigations into the blaze continue.