France was rocked by violent, destructive riots across the country on Saturday.

We reported on some of the crazier moments in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Limoges. Police were violently attacked with bricks and other projectiles, with rioters even firing firework mortars at them. The agitators also looted high-end stores and lit government buildings on fire, most notably a tourist office in a historic building and the Limoges town hall, which was 143 years old. It survived the Nazis, but under radical leftists, its distinctive bell tower and roof collapsed, and it sustained extensive damage. They spray-painted Antifa symbols and expressions on buildings and monuments, including inside the town hall in Marseille after they broke down the door and got in. 

There was considerable damage across the country and a lot of people were hurt.

French authorities said Sunday that nearly 1,800 people had been arrested nationwide, including 855 in the Paris region. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. One protester died after suffering cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris, authorities said.

French President Emmanuel Macron didn't post about the riots until hours later on Saturday. When he did, he said there was "No room for violence in our Republic," and that those responsible would be prosecuted and punished. 

Earlier in the week, Macron had already signaled weakness, saying that young people have legitimate concerns. He knew more problems were likely when he called on Friday for "calm and respect" ahead of Saturday’s planned demonstrations. The unrest had already turned violent well before Saturday's escalation.

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Yet guess where Macron was on Friday night? That revelation is earning him a lot of backlash, and rightly so. 

He wasn't preparing with his government for more trouble. He was at a Celine Dion concert with his wife. 

Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were spotted at Dion’s concert at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, according to French media reports. The couple reportedly arrived and left discreetly and were among roughly 35,000 spectators at the performance.

People ripped into Macron on X, comparing him to Nero, fiddling while Rome burned, and Marie Antoinette. 

It says, "Let them eat brioche." 

This raised more questions about the government's preparations for the riots, particularly given the protests and unrest that had been going on since mid-September, although it certainly escalated on Saturday. 

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attributed the unrest to the "ultra-left" and criminals, while opposition leaders criticized the government's handling of the violence ahead of next year’s presidential election.

Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen condemned the looting and destruction, while left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon defended the protesters’ broader grievances and criticized the government’s handling of the demonstrations. Mélenchon accused Lecornu of "playing with fire," according to reports.

Yeah, no, it was the leftists and their compatriots with Palestinian flags who were "playing with fire." 

Macron is supposed to speak to the nation on Sunday night, likely trying to stop the backlash. 

But I don't think people on either side of the aisle are going to be very happy with him at this point.