FRANCE (Web Desk) – France will introduce additional targeted curfews wherever necessary as authorities intensify efforts to contain urban unrest following violent clashes, looting and damage to businesses, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said.
Lecornu said curfews imposed in several cities had helped maintain calm overnight, while local prefects would coordinate with mayors to determine where further restrictions were required.
Police reported no major incidents during the night, offering authorities some relief after widespread disorder on Saturday. Paris, Bordeaux and Nice were among the cities that introduced partial curfews in response to escalating tensions following weeks of student demonstrations over poor conditions in high schools.
Security forces continued monitoring affected areas, including Paris’s Place de la République, where a helicopter used a powerful searchlight to enforce compliance with restrictions.
In Lyon, around 500 people gathered outside a fire-damaged tourism office to express solidarity with shopkeepers affected by looting, despite a ban on demonstrations. Protesters also called for the resignation of the city’s mayor, Gregory Doucet.
The government has scheduled emergency meetings with representatives of major social media platforms as officials seek to prevent further violence. Finance Minister Roland Lescure also pledged assistance for affected shopkeepers and craftspeople.
Patrick Martin, head of the Medef business lobby, criticised the state’s response, saying authorities had failed to protect businesses. Preliminary estimates indicated that at least 3,000 businesses had been affected by the unrest.
The government faces growing pressure to restore public order, protect commercial areas and reassure residents as France prepares for a politically sensitive period ahead of the next presidential election.
