Violence escalates in Paris. Demonstrators surround the entrance to the Louvre

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The French capital, Paris, witnessed an escalation in violence and protests, as demonstrators besieged the entrance to the famous Louvre Museum, in a development that reflects the intensity of tensions taking place in the city.

Meanwhile, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez acknowledged on Monday that the police had “lost control” in some cities during the violence that broke out across the country during the protests last weekend.

He pointed out that there were "gaps in anticipating" events during the preparations, pointing out that the number of security personnel deployed during the demonstrations was not sufficient to confront the perpetrators of acts of sabotage and looting who arrived in large numbers on the sidelines of the protests.

He also stated that the number of police and gendarmerie personnel who were deployed throughout the country on Saturday reached 60,000. For comparison, 80,000 police and gendarmerie members were mobilized on December 8, 2018 during the “yellow vest” protests, while their number reached 89,000 a year ago during the “Let’s Close Everything” movement.

As for his resignation, which was rejected by President Emmanuel Macron, he explained that he submitted it “because he bears responsibility for everything that happened.”

Nuñez criticized some political officials without naming them, saying, "I bear my share of responsibility, but these discussions should not distract attention from the fact that there are perpetrators of acts of sabotage and looting, activists from the far left."

Regarding the acts of violence and looting that occurred on Sunday and overnight in Paris, the minister confirmed that 350 people were arrested (351 according to what the Police Directorate reported).

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin also acknowledged that the authorities “undoubtedly failed” in confronting the violence, noting that there was a “flaw in intelligence information.”

Darmanin pointed out that "the French intelligence services are at the peak of their performance in the field of combating terrorism, are strong in confronting organized crime, and play an important role against foreign interference, but it is clear that they are not good at dealing properly with elements of the far left."

He added, "This is a very important point. In the coming years, one of the threats facing our country will be represented by rebellious elements from the far left who will seek to destabilize our institutions."

For his part, Minister of Urban Affairs Vincent Jeanbrunn described the violence as a "form of rebellion," denouncing a criminal phenomenon that "feeds on drug trafficking."

Asked whether a “criminal faction from the suburbs” had “wreaked havoc and devastation in part of France,” Jeanbrun replied that “there is a small part of our popular neighborhoods that harbors a type of criminality, which feeds in particular on the activities of drug traffickers.”