IMO this could be solved by instituting a dusk till dawn curfew, any one seen one the streets during the curfew are subject to arrest (min of 90 days in jail).
Any one seen destroying property immediately turns into lead catcher.
You're right, of course. Only force is understandable to a mob.
The Israeli method used to be to headshoot or kneecap the ringleaders with suppressed weapons and round up the rest. We used to use "riot" shotguns- load 'em with birdshot, skip the charge off the pavement ahead of the mob, and cause lots of mostly superficial but bloody wounds. We seem to be getting overly-civilized, in my humble opinion.
I know we joke about it "only being Renaults" getting torched, but I suspect to the owners it's a big loss.
But it goes far beyond that- by not responding to anarchy with enough force to contain & quell it, France has insured that they will have more- in spades. At what point do they lose control of their country?