Interior minister meets Marseille mayor

Laurent Nuñez, France’s interior minister, visited Marseille on Monday evening, October 19, for a 45-minute meeting with mayor Benoît Payan. The discussion focused on security concerns following recent unrest in the city, with Nuñez promising a larger police deployment for an upcoming demonstration on the following Saturday.

Promise of increased police presence

Nuñez assured Payan that the police operation for the next Saturday would be more extensive than the previous one, which had been criticized by the mayor for being too small. The minister emphasized that the new plan would be "much more mobile, with extreme reactivity," in response to groups of vandals operating in multiple locations.

Impact on businesses and arrests

According to the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), 500 businesses in Marseille were affected by the recent violence, with 317 damaged or looted. The prosecutor’s office reported 101 arrests, including 74 adults and 27 minors, with most offenses involving thefts and property damage.

Dispute over the number of vandals

The police estimated that up to 30,000 looters, including 8,000 "rioters," had been involved in the violence, but mayor Payan called this number "far-fetched." Nuñez avoided a direct debate over the figures but acknowledged that "there were obviously several thousand vandals."

Discussion on future security measures

Payan said he received "clear answers" to his concerns and noted that the meeting focused on the coming days and weeks, as the situation could escalate again. He emphasized that the discussion centered on the "type of operation" to be deployed and believed the conversation was "open and beneficial."

Symbolic gestures and police recognition

Earlier on Monday, Payan received a new symbolic Marianne, the emblem of the French Republic, during a ceremony attended by local officials. Protesters had previously defaced a bust of Marianne in the city hall. Nuñez later visited Marseille police headquarters, praising officers for their "remarkable work" before returning to Paris.