France imposes curfews in Paris, Lyon and Lille as protest violence escalates

France announced partial curfews in Paris and other cities on Monday after weekend demonstrations over the rising cost of living degenerated into some of the worst street violence the country has seen in recent years.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the government was ready to impose a state of emergency “if needed”. The interior minister admitted police had “lost control” of the streets during the unrest.

Authorities said the partial curfews would run from Monday evening to Tuesday morning in several cities, including Paris, Lille and Lyon. In the capital, the curfew starts at 11pm (2am PKT) and all demonstrations are banned from 8pm.

“I am absolutely determined to restore public order,” Lecornu said.

France curfews follow a weekend of chaos

The trouble erupted during what began as peaceful demonstrations. Some half a million people turned out across France on Saturday to denounce surging prices, the culmination of four weeks of protests that began with students demanding better conditions in high schools.

However, masked groups attacked law enforcement officers, broke into public buildings and set some of them ablaze. Shops were looted, and cars, bicycles and scooters were set on fire across multiple cities.

More than 2,500 people have been taken into police custody since the weekend, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday. He added that 67 had been jailed and “dozens” of criminal cases opened.

Nearly 1,000 members of the security forces were injured. Protesters were also hurt, including one demonstrator whose hand was blown off by a police crowd-control grenade.

President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged failures in the government’s response. At least 60,000 law enforcement personnel had been deployed on Saturday. In an address to the nation on Sunday, Macron slammed the “unbridled” violence.

At least 3,000 shops were damaged, with the cost running into hundreds of millions of euros.

Crackdown on looters and organisers

The government has vowed to track down those behind the worst violence. Darmanin said authorities would use facial recognition on social media to identify perpetrators.

Meanwhile, Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff urged online resale platforms to remove listings of “stolen items” following Saturday’s looting. She summoned representatives of companies including Vinted and eBay.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered his resignation after the weekend scenes of chaos, but Macron refused to accept it.

Louvre shut as students join protest

On Monday, a dozen demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Louvre, the most visited museum in the world, leaving tourists bewildered.

Students from art and culture schools blocked the museum’s glass pyramid entrance in support of a high school student movement.

Why this matters for readers

The unrest has already reached beyond France. Germany has updated its travel advice for the country, warning that “further outbreaks of violence in the coming days cannot be ruled out”. China has warned its citizens travelling to France to be aware of the risks and take safety precautions, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The unrest comes just six months before France elects a successor to Macron in April and May. Marine Le Pen, the far-right presidential candidate, is riding high in the polls. The government has accused ultra-left groups of stoking the violence to boost the chances of far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Organisers have called for a new round of protests next Saturday.

This wave of arrests keeps growing: earlier this month, at least 1,800 people had already been arrested during the cost-of-living protests, and the tally has now passed 2,500. Macron’s government has faced repeated clashes with protesters in recent months.

The unrest is also spreading across Europe. Smaller clashes broke out on the sidelines of a cost-of-living demonstration in Milan over the weekend. In Belgium, police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in Brussels and Liege. In Spain, protesters have set up tents in Madrid to denounce soaring housing costs, with similar encampments in Lisbon and Porto.

The EU called the violence “unacceptable” but warned that the right to peaceful protest “must be protected”.

*Source: Dawn’s report on the curfew decision.*

FAQs

Which French cities have curfews?

Partial curfews are in place in Paris, Lille, Lyon and other cities from Monday evening to Tuesday morning. In Paris, the curfew runs from 11pm and demonstrations are banned from 8pm.

Why are people protesting in France?

The protests are over the rising cost of living. They began four weeks ago with students demanding better conditions in high schools and have grown into a nationwide movement.

Will France declare a state of emergency?

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has not ruled it out. He said the government was ready to impose a state of emergency “if needed”.

How many people have been arrested?

More than 2,500 people have been taken into custody since the weekend, according to the justice minister. At least 67 have been jailed.