Macron rejects interior minister's resignation after unrest across France

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected the resignation of his interior minister after protests and violence in several French cities, the Élysée Palace said on Monday, 19 October 2026.

The announcement was first carried by Al Jazeera's Arabic channels on Telegram, which cited the presidency. Anadolu Agency later reported the decision, describing the events as France-wide riots.

Scale of the violence

According to official figures cited by Anadolu, Saturday's violence targeted around 1,500 businesses. The same figures put the number of arrests at nearly 2,400. The sources do not say which authority compiled the figures or over what period the arrests were made.

Al Jazeera's posts said the protests and violence had taken place in "several cities" across the country. They did not name the cities.

What the sources do not say

The material available does not name the interior minister. It does not say when the minister offered to resign or what reason was given. It also does not set out what triggered the protests, who took part, or how many people were injured.

No statement from the interior minister was included in the reports. The Élysée's remarks were relayed in brief form, and no direct quotation from the presidency has been published in the sources reviewed.

Al Jazeera's two Telegram posts are unverified social media items. Their account of the Élysée's decision is consistent with Anadolu's report, which is a news outlet's account of the same development. The posts themselves carry no further detail.

There is also no information in the sources on any damage estimates, on injuries among police officers or civilians, or on whether anyone has been charged. It is not stated whether the arrested people remain in custody.

Background

An interior minister in France is responsible for policing and public order, and is usually the government's most prominent figure when street violence breaks out. A resignation offer after a period of disorder is one way a minister can take responsibility for events. A president can accept or refuse it. In this case, according to the Élysée, Macron refused.

The sources do not link the unrest to any wider political debate, and this report does not draw such a link. Further official statements, court figures on the arrests and details of the cities affected had not been published in the material reviewed at the time of writing.

Zenga News will update this report if the Élysée, the interior ministry or the French authorities release further information on the decision, the events of Saturday or the arrests.