Limoges City Hall Partially Destroyed by Fire After Demonstrations

Limoges city hall was set on fire on Oct. 17, 2026. The fire occurred on Saturday, after demonstrations ended, and left the building partially destroyed and heavily damaged. Courrier International

The building, the hôtel de ville, was 143 years old when it burned. Euronews Reports attributed the blaze to radical individuals, described as casseurs, who acted on the margins of the Oct. 17 mobilization. La Dépêche

Guillaume GUÉRIN is the mayor of Limoges. He is also president of Limoges Métropole. After the fire, he reacted publicly, saying the attackers had destroyed a magnificent historic building.

The City of Limoges published an official statement about the fire on Oct. 17. The statement was titled "Hôtel de ville incendié : Limoges blessée mais la République ne cédera pas". City of Limoges The title presents the city as wounded but firm in response to the burning of its city hall.

Other municipal buildings were affected during protests in France around the same period. During the Oct. 17 protests, black-clad protesters in Marseille broke into city hall. That building was defaced. Reuters Earlier, on Oct. 6, police fired tear gas at protesters outside French high schools. That use of force came during school blockades and street protests. Reuters