Arson attack on Limoges city hall during unrest could be classified as terrorism

French authorities do not rule out that the arson attack on the historic Limoges city hall could be classified as a terrorist act, said Gérald Darmanin, the country’s justice minister.

Earlier, the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne department, where Limoges is located, reported that the city hall had been largely destroyed, RIA Novosti reports. The prefecture added that the instigators of the unrest broke into the building and set it on fire, even though people were still inside.

“The PNAT (the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office – ed.) believes there is a possibility that this may be an organized and terrorist act,” said Darmanen in an interview with the radio station Europe 1 and the television channel CNews.

Protests began in France in mid-September, when high school students took to the streets in the suburbs of Paris demanding better conditions in schools. They were later joined by people unhappy with rising prices in the country, and the protests spread to other regions.

The largest was the nationwide demonstration on October 17, which turned into riots and looting. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, about 550,000 people took part. During the protests that day, looters robbed shops, smashed windows and carried off goods, including from luxury brand boutiques, particularly in Paris and Marseille.