Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez is scheduled to testify before a National Assembly inquiry on Tuesday, November 3, at 4:30 p.m. The commission is investigating violence and looting that occurred during and after demonstrations on October 17 and 18.

Among its areas of focus are how public authorities prepare for such events, the intelligence and resources available to them, and whether the response to the protests was adequate. Lawmakers also plan to examine information provided to mayors, the possible role of foreign interference and social media, the organization of those involved in violence, and the handling of public order and subsequent legal proceedings.

The inquiry follows an acknowledged failure to anticipate the scale of the October 17 mobilization. A National Territorial Intelligence Directorate note from October 16 estimated that actions outside the Paris region would draw between 60,000 and 110,000 people. Nuñez said updated estimates had put attendance at 200,000. The Interior Ministry later reported 550,000 participants nationwide, while organizers put the figure at 800,000.

Police faced violence and were unable to prevent damage and looting at stores in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and other cities. Nuñez offered an apology on October 19 and said the security operation had been out of proportion to the number of participants. President Emmanuel Macron had rejected the minister’s resignation.

The inquiry is chaired by Renaissance MP Vincent Caure. Its work has been affected by a dispute over the appointment of co-rapporteurs: the National Rally (RN) is boycotting the commission after failing to secure one of the posts, while Agnès Firmin Le Bodo of Horizons resigned as co-rapporteur on October 30. The hearings are therefore set to begin with two rapporteurs, Roger Vicot of the Socialist Party and Pouria Amirshahi of the Ecologists.

La France insoumise and the Ecologists have separately launched initiatives to gather testimony and potential evidence for the inquiry. The commission’s conclusions are expected by the end of 2026.

Sources: Le Monde Politique.