French authorities have imposed overnight curfews and restrictions on public gatherings in several major cities following weekend demonstrations over the cost of living that were accompanied by violent incidents and looting.
In Paris, police chief Patrice Faure issued several orders on Monday, banning public gatherings in parts of the capital between 8pm and 6am and introducing a more limited curfew from 11pm to 6am.
The curfew strictly prohibits people from being present in Place de la République and the area around the Les Halles shopping centre, both of which were affected by looting over the weekend. The curfew covers a smaller area than the wider ban on gatherings.
Similar restrictions are being introduced in other major cities, including Lyon, Lille and Nice, ahead of Tuesday morning. In Lille and Nice, the curfews apply only to minors.
The Paris police chief said the measures were necessary to restore public order and protect the public after what he described as serious disturbances caused by a criminal minority.
The curfew exemptions include people who can demonstrate that they live in the affected areas, workers required to be present for their jobs, emergency service personnel and shopkeepers.
The broader ban on gatherings in Paris covers several central locations and major public sites, including the Champs-Élysées, the Élysée Palace, the Interior Ministry, the National Assembly, the prime minister’s office, the Senate, the Palais Brongniart, Place de la Bastille, Place d’Italie and areas around railway stations.
In Lyon, authorities banned gatherings in the city centre from 6pm on Monday and imposed a curfew from 9pm until 6am.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Monday evening that police had detained 2,513 people during the weekend unrest. Many remained in custody, while 67 people had been placed in pre-trial detention.
Most of those detained were adults, unlike demonstrators arrested in recent weeks, 87 per cent of whom were minors, Darmanin said.
Meanwhile, France’s main student organizations announced on Monday evening that they would join a call by the Yellow Vests movement for further demonstrations in major cities on Saturday against the rising cost of living.
The student groups criticized President Emmanuel Macron’s address on Sunday, saying it had failed to respond to their demands.
‘Not a single word was said about scholarships, housing, food, student health or access to higher education,’ they said in a statement. They accused the government of choosing repression over concrete measures in response to public anger and urged secondary school and university students to make their voices heard in the streets on Saturday.
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