French government in crisis talks after ‘colossal failure of the state’

Ministers, officials and police under pressure over response to days of violent unrest in cities across France

The French government was in crisis talks on Sunday after one of the most violent days of unrest in years left public buildings burned, hundreds of shops destroyed and looted, and more than 2000 people arrested in cities across the country.

Politicians on the left and right called for the resignation of the interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, after the government appeared to have been caught by surprise by the scale of violence as state buildings were stormed and torched, bus stops smashed, roads barricaded and shops broken into and destroyed.