French authorities announced on Monday the implementation of curfews in several cities, including Paris, Lille, and Nice, as the country grapples with heightened security concerns following a weekend of violent protests and looting tied to nationwide anti-government demonstrations, according to reports.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ruled out a general curfew in Paris but did not dismiss the possibility of a state of emergency, stating that it is currently more appropriate to apply partial and localized restrictions.
“My determination to restore order is absolute,” Lecornu told reporters.
The Paris police have issued orders banning protests in certain areas of the capital starting at 8:00 PM local time (6:00 PM GMT) and have implemented a curfew around Place de la République and Les Halles beginning at 11:00 PM. These measures will remain in effect until Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM.
“A mobilization of police forces has been implemented to ensure strict compliance with these measures,” the police stated in a release.
A source from Lecornu’s office revealed that, with the approval of local mayors, a curfew for minors has been enacted from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM for the next two days in Lille, Douai, Wattignies, and Denain.
In Nice, Mayor Eric Ciotti announced via a video posted online that he signed an order instituting a minor curfew in the city center during the night.
Marseille has banned gatherings and demonstrations. Meanwhile, French labor unions have called for a new round of strikes and rallies scheduled for November 5.
The weekend’s violence and looting followed weeks of student protests, which have unsettled France just six months ahead of the next presidential elections, exposing pressures from a struggling economy and rising public debt.
Prime Minister Accuses Far-Left Groups
Lecornu has blamed far-left groups for some of the worst unrest France has seen in recent years. “There is, after all, a far-left movement that seeks to provoke – we cannot be clearer – profound disturbances in the country ahead of the presidential elections,” he stated.
Far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon urged him to provide evidence for his claims. “Otherwise, he should apologize, remain silent, and stop fueling the fires of unrest,” Mélenchon expressed in a public message on X.
The Federation of Commerce and Retail announced that nearly 3,000 stores were affected over the weekend.
“Behind every looted store are business owners, employees, and families who have seen years of work and effort destroyed in just a few hours,” the federation added, calling for enhanced social security measures and tax relief for impacted businesses.
Lecornu stated that the government will implement technical unemployment measures starting Tuesday.
Standing before the barricaded window of a store, Gérard Nouchi, manager of two clothing shops in Marseille, lamented that there were not enough police to stop the looters. “They destroyed everything, broke things, and insulted us,” Nouchi said. “It was like a real tornado.”
The government has ordered online platforms selling stolen goods to remove listings and cooperate in the prosecution of resellers, as noted by Anne Le Hénanff, the Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs, on X.
Approximately 2,400 individuals have been arrested, and one protester died on Saturday from a cardiac arrest, with nearly 1,000 police officers injured, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
“Left Vulnerable”
On Monday, French assets underperformed compared to broader European markets, although fluctuations were more moderate than during previous political tensions.
The tensions within President Emmanuel Macron’s fragile government, fueled by apparent security deficiencies at a time when the government must adopt a budget bill to stabilize finances, could further destabilize investor confidence.
Macron’s office announced Monday that the president rejected the Interior Minister Laurent Nunez’s resignation offer, instead demanding an end to the barricades and looting and greater transparency regarding what Macron termed the “failures of intelligence services and assessments.”
Nunez informed reporters that the Champions League match on Tuesday evening between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will proceed as scheduled.
Mayors of Paris, Marseille, and Lyon expressed in a joint editorial published in the newspaper Libération that they are accustomed to demonstrations and protests. “But on Saturday… for the first time, we felt that entire neighborhoods of our cities had been left unprotected,” the mayors, all from the center-left, stated.
The start of the school vacation on Monday is expected to provide some relief, but students were organizing increasing numbers of gatherings and blockades in various locations, including the Louvre Museum and Sciences Po University in central Paris.
Luxury boutiques were also looted over the weekend.
In Place Vendôme, known for its luxury hotels and boutiques, most stores were closed on Monday and surrounded by security personnel. The entrance door of a Dior boutique was smashed, and the windows of other luxury brand shops in central Paris, including Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, and Gucci, were damaged.
In Marseille, Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille announced that its official store located on the city’s main historical boulevard was looted, while a town hall in central France was set on fire.
France mobilized 60,000 police and security forces on Saturday, Nunez stated on France Inter radio, but acknowledged that this number was insufficient to control the violent crowds.
Cost of living issues also sparked protests over the weekend in other European countries, including Italy, Belgium, and Albania.
European governments have advised citizens traveling to France to avoid crowds and exercise caution.
While France focused on cleaning up the streets on Monday, Macron arrived in Kuwait for a visit to Gulf countries aimed at securing additional supplies of gasoline and diesel to lower pump prices.
