On Monday night, Paris police implemented a curfew in two districts following a weekend that saw some of the most severe rioting in years across France. The unrest, which targeted city halls, various public structures, and numerous businesses, led to widespread damage nationwide.
The primary goal of the curfew is to safeguard “people and property from violence and looting,” according to the police statement.
The curfew prohibits access to the Place de la République, known for the disturbances on Saturday, and the popular shopping area of Les Halles, which experienced significant looting.
This curfew will be in effect from 11 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday. Additionally, the Paris police announced that gatherings and protests would be banned starting at 8 p.m.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had called for “very limited” and “localized” curfews.
In the northern regions of France, local officials imposed a curfew for minors under 18 in various cities, including Lille, lasting for two days from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Furthermore, Nice introduced a curfew for minors starting at 9 p.m.
Lecornu defended the police’s responses to the violence, stating, “despite scenes of severe violence and extensive property damage, no one was killed, and that is a miracle.”
He mentioned that further details regarding the curfews would be clarified later on Monday after discussions with local mayors.
Protests in France frequently experience violence, especially on the peripheries of what start off as peaceful demonstrations, often leading to altercations with law enforcement.
The riots echo similar violent events from a few years back, notably after the police shooting of a teenager in 2023, when local curfews were imposed. They also resemble the unrest during the yellow vest movement in 2018, which arose from concerns over fuel prices and economic issues.
Macron rejects resignation of interior minister
These developments followed Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s resignation offer, which President Emmanuel Macron declined, citing the need for effective law enforcement in the current situation.
In a statement, Macron directed Nuñez “to take all necessary steps to ensure full transparency regarding the shortcomings in planning and intelligence that led to the violence” and urged for “new policing tactics on the ground as quickly as possible.”
On Sunday night, scenes of chaos unfolded with trash bins, bicycles, and other objects set ablaze, as looting occurred in several cities, including Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. This unrest followed nationwide protests focused on escalating living costs and poor educational conditions, resulting in over 2,400 arrests nationwide.
Authorities estimated that around 3,000 businesses faced damage or looting over the weekend.
In Marseille, officials banned protests and gatherings from noon to 8 p.m. on Monday.
Nuñez publicly stated his resignation was a response to being accountable for the situation—an acknowledgment that seems to resonate with many feelings around the unrest.
He expressed, “now the real issue is ensuring that this doesn’t happen again,” emphasizing the need for better anticipation of mobilizations. He attributed the violence to “hordes of troublemakers and looters” and stated that police strategies need to evolve to address the highly mobile groups causing these disturbances.
Groups comprising hundreds of individuals sought confrontations with police, targeting public buildings and facilities during the unrest.
Shopkeepers assess the destruction
Nuñez admitted that authorities had “lost control” in certain major cities during the uprisings. “You can’t look shopkeepers in the eye when hundreds of businesses have been looted and say we haven’t lost control in some of these major cities,” he noted.
One particularly devastating incident involved flames consuming the historic City Hall in Limoges, resulting in a significant structural collapse.
As cleanup crews and firefighters worked to remove debris from Paris streets on Monday, shop owners began to assess the damage. Ouri Zagoury, a video game store owner near Place de la République, recalled how he closed his store for safety but then watched, helplessly, as looters invaded his shop while police response was delayed.
“There were so many people coming in and out. I called the police, but they told me not to intervene, which is frustrating,” Zagoury expressed.
Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally party, criticized the government for failing to control the situation. He stated, “the government has failed in its essential duty of protecting the French people,” and called on citizens to leverage their voting power, as he campaigns alongside Marine Le Pen, who is currently leading in the polls for the upcoming presidential election.
