Fire engulfs historic Limoges town hall amid France's nationwide protests
A fire destroyed the roof and most of the exterior of the 143-year-old Limoges town hall, according to local authorities, following massive nationwide demonstrations that turned violent in several French cities.
Around 550,000 people participated in protests across France on Saturday, which authorities reported escalated into violent clashes with police in various parts of the country. The nationwide marches, driven primarily by rising living costs, turned into violent confrontations across several cities, according to national data.
In Limoges, the 143-year-old town hall was set on fire by a group of masked protesters amid the unrest, the local prefect reported. Maurice Barate confirmed that the roof had collapsed onto the lower floors, leaving only the west wing intact and erasing roughly two-thirds of the building's exterior from the structure.
The damage to the historic building remains under assessment as authorities evaluate the total loss. The fire at Limoges was one of multiple incidents of structural destruction, as town halls in Marseille and Lille were also broken into and vandalized during the same wave of protests.
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Read the original reporting and primary evidence.
- Spire collapses at historic Limoges town hall amid violent protests across FranceEuronews · Primary source
- Spire collapses at historic Limoges town hall amid violent protests across Francewww.msn.com
- Historic Limoges town hall engulfed in flames amid protests in FranceEuronews · Primary source
- Historic Limoges town hall engulfed in flames amid protests in Francewww.msn.com
- Historic Limoges town hall engulfed in flames amid protests in Francewww.yahoo.com
- Fire rages at town hall in France’s Limoges after protestswww.msn.com
- France protests turn violent: 143-year-old Limoges Town Hall burnt down; Vance blames mass immigrationwww.msn.com
- Looting, blazes and clashes in France amid nationwide protestswww.rfi.fr
- Centuries of history lost as flames destroy the 1883 Limoges town hallwww.msn.com
- Mass protests in France spiral into worst riots in yearswww.reuters.com
- Hundreds arrested in France as police clash with protesterswww.msn.com
- Unrest Mars Day of Protest in France, as Student Movement Turns Nationalwww.nytimes.com
- ویدیوها. شهرداری تاریخی لیموژ در جریان اعتراضات فرانسه در آتش سوختparsi.euronews.com
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The roof of the 143-year-old Limoges town hall collapsed onto the lower floors, except for the west wing, and around two-thirds of the building's exterior had disappeared.
confirmedThe 143-year-old Limoges town hall was set on fire by a group of masked protesters amid unrest.
confirmed