France’s government has urged local authorities to impose curfews after a weekend of riots and looting. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said officials could introduce local restrictions to restore order. He also kept open the possibility of declaring a state of emergency but ruled out a blanket curfew in Paris.
The unrest followed weeks of student demonstrations and nationwide protests against the government. Hundreds of thousands of people reportedly took to the streets over declining public services and rising living costs. The violence comes six months before France’s next presidential election and has intensified scrutiny of the government’s security response.
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Lecornu blamed far-left groups for some of the country’s worst unrest in years. However, hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon challenged him to provide evidence for the accusation. Meanwhile, the Federation of Trade and Retail said the unrest affected almost 3,000 shops, leaving businesses facing significant damage and disruption.
Authorities arrested around 2,400 people during the unrest, while nearly 1,000 officers suffered injuries. One protester also died from a cardiac arrest on Saturday. In Paris, the chamber of commerce reported vandalism at 300 to 400 businesses. Looters also targeted luxury shops, while unrest damaged public property elsewhere.
President Emmanuel Macron rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nunez’s offer to resign. Instead, Macron instructed him to end barricades and looting and address what the president described as failures in intelligence and foresight. Nunez acknowledged that deploying 60,000 police and security personnel on Saturday had not proved enough to control violent crowds.
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Furthermore, the mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon said parts of their cities had been left without protection. Marseille banned gatherings and demonstrations, while students continued staging blockades at some locations in Paris. French unions also called for another round of strikes and rallies on November 5. The government announced furlough measures for affected businesses from Tuesday.
The unrest has also unsettled financial markets as France faces pressure to pass a budget aimed at controlling public debt. French shares fell 1.3% in early trading on Monday, while the country’s 10-year bond yield rose eight basis points to 4.86%. Meanwhile, European governments advised travellers to avoid large crowds and exercise caution in France.