France is preparing to impose additional curfews as authorities intensify efforts to restore order following a weekend of violent demonstrations that left businesses damaged, public buildings ablaze and security forces struggling to contain the unrest.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says fresh restrictions will be introduced wherever necessary, as the government faces mounting criticism over its handling of one of the country’s most serious outbreaks of street violence in recent years.
The unrest erupted on Saturday, when demonstrations against the rising cost of living followed weeks of student protests over poor conditions in high schools. About half a million people reportedly took to the streets across France, with peaceful rallies in several locations degenerating into riots, looting and arson.
The violence has heightened political tensions just six months before France is due to elect a successor to President Emmanuel Macron.
Images of clashes between demonstrators and security forces, looted shops and burning public buildings have circulated internationally, prompting the United States, China and Germany to issue travel advisories for their citizens in France.
In response, authorities introduced partial curfews in Paris and several other cities on Monday, with further restrictions expected as the security situation develops.
Overnight, a helicopter hovered above Paris’s Place de la République, one of the main centres of unrest, sweeping a powerful searchlight across the square to monitor compliance with the restrictions.
The heightened security presence has underscored the government’s determination to prevent further violence, although the measures have also unsettled residents in affected neighbourhoods.
Lecornu says the curfews have helped restore calm overnight, but fresh emergency meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, including discussions with representatives of major social media platforms. Talks with trade unions are expected on Wednesday.
In Marseille, a targeted curfew for minors is due to take effect in several districts from Tuesday evening and remain in place at least until Friday, according to a source close to the matter.
Meanwhile, security forces have arrested a man suspected of links to the ultra-left in connection with the burning of a historic town hall in Limoges, central France. Anti-terrorism police have been called in to investigate the suspected arson, as the destruction of the building becomes a symbol of the escalating unrest.
The government is also under pressure over the scale of the violence. More than 2,500 people have reportedly been taken into police custody since the weekend, while 67 people have been jailed.
Several demonstrators have suffered serious injuries. In Mulhouse, eastern France, a 17-year-old girl lost an eye, while a 17-year-old boy in Saint-Étienne lost his hand in a grenade explosion.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered to resign on Sunday, acknowledging that police had lost control during the unrest. Macron rejected the resignation.
The violence has also taken a heavy toll on businesses. Preliminary estimates indicate that at least 3,000 businesses have been affected, prompting Finance Minister Roland Lescure to promise support for shopkeepers and craftspeople.
Patrick Martin, head of France’s Medef business lobby, has accused the state of failing to protect businesses and maintain order.
The crisis comes as France grapples with mounting public debt, rising living costs and growing support for the far right. Investors have also been selling French government debt amid concerns over the government’s ability to control public spending.
Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has described the unrest as a wake-up call, arguing that it exposes a profound crisis of authority.
Macron, meanwhile, is facing criticism over the government’s response while on a tour of Gulf countries aimed at securing oil and diesel supplies and easing fuel prices.
The unrest has also drawn intervention from abroad. United States President Donald Trump has attributed the violence to immigration rather than school conditions or the cost of living, using the crisis to renew calls for tighter border controls.
With further emergency meetings planned and additional curfews under consideration, the French government faces an increasingly urgent challenge: restoring public order while addressing the economic and social grievances fuelling the demonstrations.
