French authorities imposed local curfews in parts of Paris, Lille and Nice on Monday after a weekend of riots and looting linked to nationwide anti-government protests, as the government faced mounting criticism over security failures.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ruled out a blanket curfew in Paris for now but did not exclude declaring a state of emergency, saying localised restrictions were a more appropriate response.
“My determination to restore order is absolute,” Lecornu told reporters.
Paris police banned protests in parts of the capital from 8pm and imposed a curfew around Place de la République and Les Halles from 11pm until 6am on Tuesday.
In Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain, a curfew for minors was introduced from 8pm to 6am for two days, according to a source in the prime minister’s office. Nice Mayor Éric Ciotti also announced an overnight curfew for minors in the city centre, while Marseille banned gatherings and demonstrations.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Tuesday evening’s Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona would go ahead as planned.
The measures followed a weekend of clashes between protesters and police, with the Interior Ministry reporting around 2,400 arrests and nearly 1,000 officers injured. One protester died after suffering a cardiac arrest.
France's bishops have also condemned what they term 'unacceptable violence' that gripped the country over the weekend resulting in destruction and looting.
In a joint statement released on Monday 19 October, the bishops urged restraint while expressing their support for those who have been attacked or suffered losses in the riots.
“We urge everyone not to be drawn into the spiral of this deadly violence: our country deserves better" the statement read.
Other church leaders in the country also joined the bishops in their calls for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
Meanwhile Lecornu blamed far-left groups for some of the worst unrest France has seen in years, accusing them of seeking to destabilise the country ahead of the presidential election. Hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon challenged him to provide evidence, saying he should apologise if he could not.
President Emmanuel Macron rejected Nuñez’s offer to resign, instead instructing him to tackle barricades and looting and to be transparent about what Macron described as failures in intelligence and preparedness.
Nuñez told France Inter radio that 60,000 police officers and other security forces had been deployed on Saturday, acknowledging that this had not been enough to control the violent crowds.
The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon wrote in an opinion piece in Libération that they had experience managing demonstrations but felt parts of their cities had been left unprotected.
Nearly 3,000 shops were affected by the looting, according to a federation representing retailers. Lecornu said the government would introduce furlough measures from Tuesday to support affected businesses.
At Place Vendôme in central Paris, many luxury hotels and shops remained closed on Monday. The entrance to a Dior boutique was smashed, while windows at Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren and Gucci stores were damaged.
In Marseille, Olympique de Marseille said its official store had been looted, and in Limoges the historic town hall was set on fire.
Gérard Nouchi, who manages two clothing stores in Marseille, said police had been unable to stop the looting. “They trashed everything, broke things, insulted us,” he said. “It was like a real tornado.”
The government also ordered online platforms to remove listings of looted goods and cooperate with authorities in prosecuting resellers, Junior Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff said.
The violence followed weeks of student demonstrations over declining public services, the cost of living and the state of the economy.
Students continued to stage gatherings and blockades on Monday, including at the Louvre museum and Sciences Po university in Paris, and trade unions called for another round of strikes and rallies on 5 November.
The unrest comes six months before France’s presidential election, adding pressure on Macron’s fragile government as it seeks to pass a budget aimed at controlling public finances.
As authorities began clearing damaged streets, Macron arrived in Kuwait on a Gulf trip aimed at securing additional petrol and diesel supplies to help bring down fuel prices.
Protests over the cost of living have also taken place in Italy, Belgium and Albania, and several European governments have advised their citizens in France to avoid large crowds.
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