French justice minister vows extremely firm punishment for weekend rioters

Summary

Rioting in France over the weekend highlighted failings in how the security services handled threats posed by looters, according to Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin. He promised that rioters would face extremely firm punishment. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Angela Diffley reports on his remarks.

Timeline

1. France 24

   20 Oct 2026, 14:37 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that weekend rioting in France highlighted failings in the security services' handling of threats posed by looters, and that Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin promised rioters would face extremely firm punishment.