France, Oct. 19 -- "I have handed in my resignation because I am responsible for everything that happens," Nuñez said Monday on France Inter public radio, after France saw one of the worst episodes of urban unrest in its history.

Nearly 2,400 people were arrested on Saturday during nationwide protests and about 1,000 police and gendarmes injured. More than 1,500 shops were looted and public buildings torched.

Nuñez acknowledged that the police deployment had been too small to deal with the numbers of people involved in the looting and vandalism.

President Emmanuel Macron said he'd rejected Nunez' resignation and asked him to remain in post to maintain the chain of command within the police and security forces and to introduce...