ALBAWABA-French authorities imposed a nighttime curfew and restrictions on protests in parts of central Paris on Monday following days of violent unrest, clashes with police and widespread looting that left hundreds injured and thousands arrested nationwide.
The Paris Police Prefecture said demonstrations and public gatherings would be banned from 8 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday in designated districts. A stricter curfew prohibiting people from being present in public spaces would apply from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. around Place de la République and the Les Halles district. The prefecture said the restrictions were intended to protect people and property from further violence and looting and to restore public order.
Similar targeted restrictions were introduced or planned in other cities, including Lille, Douai, Denain, Wattignies and Nice, after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu instructed local authorities to take measures in response to the unrest. Lecornu ruled out a blanket curfew across Paris but said a state of emergency remained an option if the situation deteriorated.
The measures follow nationwide demonstrations on Saturday against rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, particularly education.
The largely peaceful marches, which brought together students, trade unions and elements of the Yellow Vest movement, were followed by violent clashes in several cities. Masked groups confronted police, set vehicles and public buildings on fire and looted businesses. The historic town hall in Limoges was among the buildings reportedly targeted.
Authorities reported nearly 2,400 arrests and around 1,000 injured police officers and gendarmes, several of them seriously. One protester also died of cardiac arrest. Further clashes and isolated incidents of looting were reported in Paris and other cities on Sunday.
#BREAKING France announces partial ban on protests in Paris on Monday night https://t.co/htmr3Hckvm
President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence in a televised address on Sunday, distinguishing between peaceful protesters' demands over living costs and public services and those responsible for destruction and looting.
He blamed ultra-left groups and other offenders for the unrest, vowed that those responsible would face justice and authorised local authorities to restrict demonstrations where necessary to protect public buildings and businesses.
Macron stopped short of declaring a nationwide state of emergency. On Monday, he also rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's offer to resign, instead directing him to restore order and address shortcomings in intelligence and security preparations.
The unrest has intensified pressure on Macron's government amid public frustration over economic hardship, rising debt and strained public services, with France approaching its 2027 presidential election.
Dr. Mansour Al-Maswari is Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University-Global Center, Amman. A Yemeni academician with a Ph.D. in English "Comparative Literature" and two MA degrees, one in political science and the other in English, Dr. Al-Maswari possesses more than 17 years of extensive experience in university-level teaching, research, research reviewing, bilingual translation, and copy-writing...
Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content
