France Arrests Man for Burning Historic Limoges Town Hall

French security forces arrested a man believed to be linked to ultra-left movements over the burning down of the historic Limoges town hall.

Anti-terror police have been called in to investigate the suspected arson of the 1883 building, whose roof and belfry collapsed when it was engulfed by fire on Saturday, October 17. The man was arrested by officers from the specialized RAID police unit in Val d’Issoire. Limoges Mayor Guillaume Guérin criticized the police response, claiming officers ran out of ammunition and retreated, leaving municipal police to face rioters.

Guérin accused ultra-left Black Bloc rioters of premeditation, noting they used a battering ram and set the fire in the basement, which spread through cellar vents. The destruction of the building, which survived two world wars, has become a symbol of the violent rioting that erupted on the margins of nationwide protests over the cost of living and school conditions.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that anti-terror prosecutors would soon decide whether to investigate the incident as a suspected terror attack. Mayor Guérin has called on the government to commit millions for the town hall's full restoration, comparing it to the rebuilding of Notre-Dame de Paris.