An elite "snatch squad" of police is scheduled to stay in Limoges, south-western France, on Sunday after hundreds of masked rioters wielding iron bars and baseball bats rampaged along a road attacking cars and clashing with security forces.
The horde descended on the RN141 on the outskirts of Limoges city centre and tried to block the road during a battle with police in which nine officers were injured
“They’re organised, structured, there’s a plan, weapons,” said Limoges mayor Émile Roger Lombertie.
“This was not a spontaneous protest to complain about something. No pretext, nothing. It’s about destroying things and showing the territory belongs to you.
"They're an urban guerrilla group," Lombertie added.
The clashes came during one of the busiest weekends on roads throughout France as holidaymakers set off for their summer breaks or make the journey back home to resume work.
"None of the motorists were physically assaulted. However, several are particularly shocked," Limoges prosecutors said in a statement.
"The investigation is continuing into armed participation in an assembly, violence against national police officers and organised gang damage to other people's property," the prosecutors office added.
On the night of 14 July, France's national holiday to celebrate one of the most significant events during the French Revolution in 1789, clashes erupted in the Val de l'Aurence district of Limoges between gangs of youths and police that left two officers injured.
"Val de l'Aurence has become a lawless zone," added Lombertie.
