France imposes night curfews in Paris and other cities after violent protests

French authorities have imposed night curfews in parts of Paris, Lille, Nice and several other cities amid nationwide anti-government protests. While Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ruled out a citywide curfew in Paris, he did not rule out imposing a state of emergency, saying partial and localised curfews were currently more appropriate.
Speaking to reporters, Lecornu said: “My determination to restore law and order is unwavering.” More than 2,000 protesters have been arrested so far.
‘Far-left groups responsible for unrest’
French authorities are facing intense pressure over security arrangements following riots and looting during nationwide anti-government protests. Night curfews were imposed on Monday in parts of Paris, Lille, Nice and several other cities.
Lecornu blamed far-left groups for some of the worst unrest France has seen in recent years. He said: “There is a far-left movement in the country that wants to spread serious unrest before the presidential election.”
Far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon demanded that the prime minister provide evidence for his allegation. Writing on X, he said Lecornu should “apologise, remain silent and stop fuelling unrest.”
Why are protests taking place?
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets at the weekend, saying public services in France were deteriorating and the system had become ineffective. Rising inflation and the growing cost of living also fuelled weekend protests in Italy, Belgium, Albania and other European countries.
According to the trade and retail sector federation, around 3,000 shops were affected during the violence at the weekend. The federation said that behind every shop targeted by vandals were business owners, employees and families whose years of hard work had been destroyed within hours. It called for social security and tax relief for affected businesses.
Meanwhile, European and other governments have advised their citizens travelling to France to avoid large gatherings and exercise caution.
Opposition criticism
National Rally president Jordan Bardella criticised the government for failing to stop the violence. Speaking to reporters, he said: “The government has failed, and the head of state has also failed to fulfil his fundamental responsibility to protect the French people.”
He added: “I now call on the people of France to use not only their right to protest but also their right to vote.” Bardella is campaigning alongside far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who opinion surveys have shown leading ahead of the upcoming presidential election for several months.