A 40-year-old man suspected of involvement in the deliberate arson that ravaged Limoges city hall has been arrested in the Haute-Vienne department, the public prosecutor’s office and a source close to the case confirmed, following an initial report by RTL.
The suspect was detained on Tuesday morning in the commune of Val-d’Issoire with assistance from the Bordeaux branch of RAID, France’s elite national police unit, the Limoges prosecutor’s office told BFMTV and AFP. A union source said the man is a resident of the neighboring Creuse department.
Fire Gutted Historic Building During Cost-of-Living Protests
The historic section of Limoges city hall, inaugurated in 1883, was “almost 100 percent destroyed” inside, according to authorities, after the fire was deliberately set on Saturday, October 17, in the middle of a nationwide day of mobilization against the high cost of living.
The suspect is listed in the S file — France’s register of individuals deemed a threat to national security — for violence against public officials and is known for his affiliation with the far left. The anti-terrorist sub-directorate (Sdat) has been seized of the case, according to AFP. BFMTV reported that the Sdat is responsible for combating violent extremism.
Darmanin Points to Organized Far-Left Action
On Monday evening, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that the national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office would determine “in the coming hours” whether it would take charge of the Limoges city hall fire investigation.
“Police investigation services believe there is a possibility that this was an organized, terrorist act — the idea of instilling terror for ideological or political reasons,” Darmanin said Tuesday on Europe 1.
“This shows the organization, no doubt, of the ultra-left, which would have deliberately attacked Limoges city hall and possibly other buildings,” the justice minister said, adding: “These ultra-left organizations must be fought.”
Investigation Widens After Nationwide Unrest
The arrest comes as authorities pursue forensic evidence, video surveillance and social media analysis to identify looters who struck during the October 17 unrest. The violence in several French cities has prompted foreign governments to urge their nationals to exercise caution, while small shopkeepers hit by the looting have turned to online fundraising campaigns as a symbol of their distress.
