PARIS — French cities including parts of Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Lille imposed localized curfews on Monday night after a weekend of protests over education policy and the cost of living spiraled into the worst rioting France has seen in years.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said after an emergency meeting with senior officials that he had asked prefects — the government’s regional representatives — to impose “very limited,” localized curfews to prevent further rioting and looting. He ruled out a blanket curfew for the capital: “These curfews must be local and partial. It is out of the question to put all of Paris under curfew.”
Lecornu, who said he was “fully resolved to restoring public order,” warned that a state of emergency remains available if the curfews fail. “If it is deemed necessary, we could do so,” he said, “but at this stage partial curfews seem more appropriate.” A state of emergency under France’s 1955 law would give the government sweeping powers to restrict movement, ban gatherings and conduct searches without judicial warrants; it was last imposed nationwide after the November 2015 Paris attacks.
Tonight’s measures, city by city (as reported by CNN and BFMTV):
- Paris: curfew around Place de la République from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.; streets around Les Halles from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Lyon: gatherings on public roads banned 6–9 p.m., followed by a curfew in parts of the city from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Marseille: all gatherings and demonstrations banned from midday to 8 p.m.
- Nice: curfew for minors downtown from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Nord department (incl. Lille, Douai, Wattignies, Denain): curfews from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
A weekend that overwhelmed the police
The measures follow two days of violence that began with mass demonstrations on Saturday and spread across the country. Rioters set fires, attacked city halls and government buildings — the city hall in Limoges was destroyed — and looted shops on a large scale. Police fired tear gas and fought running battles with hooded rioters in several cities. On Monday, demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris, delaying its opening.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 200 investigators are reviewing CCTV footage to identify organisers of the violence. Nuñez tendered his resignation on Sunday; President Emmanuel Macron rejected it, citing the need for continuity in command of law enforcement, according to the Élysée. The minister has acknowledged that police lost control in some cities, and the mayors of France’s largest cities on Monday demanded answers from the government over what they called a lack of preparation by security forces.
Lecornu said the government will fund recovery in affected areas and bring forward a law to make those responsible for damage pay for it. Alain Di Crescenzo, head of France’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said more than 2,000 shops and businesses were directly affected and put the damage at “hundreds of millions of euros.”
What we know, and what is still unclear
- Arrests: figures have risen through the day, from about 1,800 reported earlier to roughly 2,400 cited by the prime minister on Monday. Most of those detained are adults.
- Deaths and injuries: CNN reported at least two deaths over the weekend and serious injuries, including two people who lost hands. Lecornu, however, said on Monday that “no one was killed” on Saturday — “and that is a miracle.” The discrepancy may reflect deaths outside Saturday’s protests; officials have not yet published a consolidated toll, and Zark News is treating the casualty figures as unconfirmed.
- Which cities, exactly: the government has not published a single national list; curfew zones are being set locally by prefects and mayors, so measures vary street by street.
Why it matters
The unrest caps weeks of student demonstrations and lands six months before France’s presidential election, with the economy weak and public debt surging. Lecornu accused radical-left groups of seeking to prolong the disorder until the vote. How tonight goes — whether the curfews hold, and whether the government is forced toward the state of emergency it has kept in reserve — will set the tone for the campaign. Tuesday also brings a high-profile test of normality: Nuñez said there are no plans to cancel Tuesday evening’s Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona match.
Zark News carried the prime minister’s announcement and live pictures from Paris throughout Monday. This story will be updated as prefectures publish tonight’s curfew zones and as officials release a consolidated casualty toll.
