PARIS — France has imposed localised curfews and restrictions on public gatherings in Paris and several other cities following days of protests, violent clashes and looting that have raised serious concerns about public order.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu issued the measures on Monday, targeting areas considered vulnerable to unrest in the capital and cities including Lille, Nice and Marseille. However, the government has stopped short of declaring a nationwide state of emergency.
Speaking at a press conference, Lecornu said the government remained committed to restoring order and considered localised curfews a more appropriate response under the current circumstances.
Paris police said demonstrations would be prohibited from 8 pm in designated areas, while curfews would take effect from 11 pm around Place de la République and Les Halles. The restrictions were scheduled to remain in force until 6 am on Tuesday.
Police have been deployed to enforce the measures, authorities said.
A source in the prime minister’s office said that, with the agreement of local mayors, curfews for minors would be imposed from 8 pm to 6 am on Tuesday and Wednesday in Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain. Nice Mayor Éric Ciotti also announced a nighttime curfew for minors in the city centre.
In Marseille, all public gatherings and demonstrations have been banned. Meanwhile, French trade unions have called for fresh strikes and rallies on November 5.
The unrest erupted over the weekend following weeks of student demonstrations demanding improvements to the country’s education system. The violence comes six months before France’s next presidential election, adding to political tensions amid economic difficulties and mounting public debt.
Lecornu Blames Far-Left Groups
Lecornu blamed far-left political groups for what he described as one of France’s most serious episodes of unrest in recent years.
At Monday’s news conference, he accused a radical left-wing faction of seeking to destabilise the country ahead of the presidential election.
Far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon challenged the prime minister to provide evidence for the allegations. In a post on X, Mélenchon said Lecornu should apologise if he could not substantiate his claims and urged him to stop aggravating tensions.
Thousands of Shops Damaged
The Federation of Trade and Retail, a French retail industry organisation, said nearly 3,000 shops across the country, including in Paris, were damaged during Saturday and Sunday’s unrest.
The organisation called for social protection measures and tax relief for affected businesses, warning that looting had devastated the livelihoods of shopkeepers, employees and their families.
Lecornu said the government would introduce temporary furlough support for workers from Tuesday.
In Marseille, Gérard Nucci, a manager of two clothing shops whose storefronts had been boarded up, said there had not been enough police to stop the looters. He described the destruction as resembling a tornado.
Junior Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff said the government had instructed online platforms advertising looted goods to remove the listings immediately and cooperate with authorities to help bring sellers to justice.
According to the Interior Ministry, around 2,400 people have been arrested and approximately 1,000 police officers injured. One protester died after suffering a cardiac arrest on Saturday.
The government’s response is aimed at containing the violence and preventing further damage as pressure mounts to restore security across the country.
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