# President Macron vows to punish French rioters - Show: Global News Podcast - Published: 2026-10-18 - Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/135067274_e61d6556920c.html - Audio: http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss-low/proto/http/vpid/p0ph9kym.mp3 - Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary. Violent protests swept across France on October 18, causing widespread damage including the destruction of Limoges' 19th-century city hall; Prime Minister Sébastien Le Cornu announced 1,200 arrests and 150 police officers injured as President Macron vowed to prosecute all those responsible for looting and arson. On the same day in the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine and diplomatic delegations from Belgium, France, and Poland, prompting US Ambassador Mike Huckabee to condemn the incidents as 'vile acts of terrorism.' ## What this episode answers ### How serious were the protests in France, and how did the government respond? The violence was severe: Limoges' city hall burned to the ground, a 17-year-old in Saint-Étienne lost his hand to a tear gas canister, 1,200 people were arrested, and 150 police officers were injured. President Macron declared unequivocally that those who looted or attacked businesses would be prosecuted and punished. ### How did the BBC's Paris correspondent describe conditions in the city after protesters were dispersed? BBC correspondent James Waterhouse described it as 'complete chaos,' reporting that after police dispersed crowds with water cannons and tear gas, burning barricades lined Paris streets, shop windows were smashed, and young people walked openly through the city carrying computers and plasma televisions. ### How did the United States react to the settler attacks on an American journalist and European diplomats in the West Bank? US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned the attack on Levine as 'vile acts of terrorism' and called on Israel to prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law; Secretary of State Marco Rubio also described the conduct as 'disturbing and ugly.' ### What is the political background that makes it so difficult for Prime Minister Netanyahu to crack down on settlers? Netanyahu is struggling electorally and depends on the support of Itamar Ben-Gvir's far-right nationalist party to hold his coalition together, making a serious crackdown on settlers politically almost impossible — and Israel has prosecuted settlers only in extremely rare cases. ### Why did President Trump suspend the Russia sanctions? Secretary of State Rubio explained that the sanctions affect not only Russia but also other countries such as India through associated tariffs, and that the administration wanted 60 days to analyze the combined impact of imposing both sanctions and tariffs simultaneously. ## Article ## Violent protests sweep France as Macron vows tough punishment Student protests that had been simmering across France for several weeks escalated sharply on October 18, drawing in a broader cross-section of demonstrators and turning violent. Looting and arson broke out in cities across the country. In the southwestern city of Limoges, a magnificent city hall dating from the late 1800s was gutted by fire. In Saint-Étienne, a 17-year-old boy lost his hand after being struck by a crowd-control tear gas canister. Prime Minister Sébastien Le Cornu announced that 1,200 people had been arrested and 150 police officers injured. President Macron was unambiguous: "Those who looted or attacked businesses will be prosecuted and punished." ## 'Complete chaos': a correspondent's account from the ground BBC Paris correspondent James Waterhouse reported scenes of "complete chaos." After police broke up demonstrations with water cannons and tear gas, burning barricades went up across several districts of the capital, shop windows were smashed, and young people walked openly down streets carrying computers and plasma televisions. On the Champs-Élysées, armed police and protesters played cat-and-mouse well into the night. Waterhouse drew comparisons to the Gilets Jaunes (yellow vest) movement of 2017–18 and assessed that the violence would carry significant political consequences ahead of the next presidential election. Opinion polls show far-right leader Marine Le Pen as the frontrunner for the presidency, while the centrist Macron government holds no parliamentary majority and has little political capital left to push through reforms. BBC Europe editor Katya Adler noted that similar protests have broken out elsewhere on the continent — five consecutive nights of violence in Tirana, Albania, and unrest in Bologna and Milan in Italy, as well as in Spain, Greece, and Belgium — all against the common backdrop of public anger over the rising cost of living. Adler added that President Putin is welcoming Europe's political turbulence, while President Zelensky fears that support for Ukraine will be lost as European governments turn inward. ## West Bank settler violence: US ambassador condemns attacks as 'vile acts of terrorism' In the West Bank, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was attacked by a group of settlers while documenting Palestinian olive farmers. On the same day, diplomatic delegations from Belgium, France, and Poland were also assaulted by settlers during a visit to a Palestinian village; a French mayor was knocked to the floor in the melee. Israeli activist Amit Olfari, who witnessed the incidents, gave a direct account: "The settlers were beating cars with clubs. The Belgian car's windows were already smashed." US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the attack on Levine as "vile acts of terrorism" and called on Israel to prosecute those involved to the fullest extent of the law. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the behavior as "disturbing and ugly." Middle East analyst Sebastian Usher pointed to the electoral constraints on Prime Minister Netanyahu's room to maneuver. The far-right nationalist party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir is essential to maintaining the governing coalition, making any meaningful crackdown on settlers politically nearly impossible. Usher noted that Israel has prosecuted settlers only in exceedingly rare cases. ## Trump suspends Russia sanctions Three weeks ago, President Trump signed the Graham Act, which included tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest importers of Russian oil, along with sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions, the defense sector, and the shadow fleet used to circumvent existing restrictions. On Friday night, however, the president suspended those measures. Secretary of State Rubio explained the decision: "The sanctions affect not only Russia but also several other countries, including India, in the form of tariffs. We want to take 60 days to analyze the impact of imposing both sanctions and tariffs at the same time." ## Takeaways - Violent protests engulfed France, with serious casualties including the destruction of Limoges' city hall and a teenager losing his hand, while the politically weakened Macron government — lacking a parliamentary majority — struggled to mount an effective response. - Israeli settlers attacked an American journalist and European diplomats in the West Bank, yet Prime Minister Netanyahu is politically unable to act decisively due to his dependence on far-right coalition partners led by Itamar Ben-Gvir. - The unrest in France is part of a broader wave of European instability — spreading to Albania, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Belgium — driven by widespread public anger over the rising cost of living.