French authorities have imposed overnight curfews in parts of central Paris and other cities following a weekend of riots and looting. More than 2,500 people have been arrested, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted police had 'lost control' in some areas.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
French authorities have imposed overnight curfews in parts of central Paris and other cities after a weekend of riots and looting across the country. Police in Paris said a curfew would be in force between 23:00 local time (21:00 GMT) and 06:00 in Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping area. A ban on unauthorised gatherings has also been imposed in several other parts of the city centre.
Partial curfews restricting the movement of young people and gatherings were announced for cities including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon in the south, as well as Lille and other towns in the north. In northern France, local authorities imposed a curfew for children and teenagers under age 18 in several cities, including Lille, starting from Monday and for the next two days from 8pm to 6am. Nice also imposed an overnight curfew for minors from 9pm.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that local mayors were being given the power to implement curfews "where they need". He did not rule out imposing a state of emergency in the country. Lecornu announced that the government would set aside money to help affected areas recover from the damage, noting that funding would be recovered from those behind the violence. "There will be a law that will be put in place to find ways of making sure that those who have damaged properties will have to pay," Lecornu said.
Officials said more than 2,500 people have been arrested. The Mirror reported that at least 2,400 people were arrested. About 1,000 police officers were injured, and one demonstrator's hand was blown off by a police crowd-control grenade, according to the AFP news agency.
The head of France's Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Alain Di Crescenzo, told France's broadcaster RTL that damage from the riots was estimated at "hundreds of millions of euros". More than 2,000 shops and other businesses have been directly impacted, according to the CCI. Authorities estimated on Monday that at least 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted in several cities, according to the Mirror.
In the central city of Limoges, the ornate 19th Century city hall was gutted by a fire started by rioters on Saturday, causing its clock tower and roof to collapse. In Marseille, the prefect banned any protest or other gathering from noon to 8pm Monday.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered his resignation on Sunday, but President Emmanuel Macron refused it "given the need for continued command of law enforcement", the Élysée Palace said. Nuñez had admitted police had "lost control" in some cities. "You can’t look shopkeepers in the eye when hundreds of businesses have been looted and say: ‘We haven’t lost control in some of these major cities.’ Obviously," the minister said.
Macron instructed Nuñez "to take all necessary steps to ensure full transparency about the failures in planning and intelligence gathering that led to the violence", according to a statement from the French leader’s office. Nuñez blamed the violence on "hordes of troublemakers and looters" and "far-left activists".
Political tensions have risen ahead of next year's presidential election. Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally, stated, "The government has failed, the head of state has failed in his essential duty of protecting the French people." Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise party, responded to accusations that his party played a role in the violence by calling for the Prime Minister to "prove his accusation" or "apologise, shut up, and stop stoking disorder".
The imposition of curfews and the scale of the unrest highlight significant social and economic tensions in France, with protests initially driven by students demanding better school conditions escalating into broader grievances over rising fuel prices, the cost of living, and deteriorating public services. The government's response, including potential state of emergency measures and new laws for property damage recovery, signals a hardening stance on public order. The political fallout, with opposition parties blaming the government for security failures and the government accusing political rivals of inciting chaos, underscores the fragility of the political landscape ahead of the presidential election.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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