French authorities have imposed overnight curfews in parts of central Paris and other cities following a weekend of riots and looting across the country. The curfew will be in effect from 23:00 local time (21:00 GMT) to 06:00 in Place de la République, where protesters gathered over the weekend, and the Les Halles shopping area. A ban on unauthorized gatherings has also been implemented in several other parts of the city center.
Curfews Across France
Partial curfews restricting the movement of young people and gatherings have been announced for cities including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, and Lyon in the south, as well as Lille and other towns in the north.
Earlier, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who faced criticism from opposition politicians regarding the government's preparedness for the disorder, admitted that police had "lost control" in some cities. The protests began last month with students demanding better school conditions but have since escalated to encompass a broader range of concerns, with numbers at demonstrations this weekend bolstered by trade unions and various protest groups.
More than 2,500 people have been arrested, and reports indicate that one demonstrator's hand was blown off by a police crowd-control grenade. Approximately 1,000 police officers have been injured during the unrest.
Government Response
Following a crisis meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that local mayors would be given the authority to implement curfews as needed, although he did not specify which cities would be affected. Lecornu did not rule out the possibility of imposing a state of emergency in the country and stated that the government would allocate funds to help affected areas recover from the damage, which would be recouped from those responsible for the violence.
