Anti-government demonstrations across France escalated into widespread violence over the weekend, as thousands of protesters clashed with police, set municipal buildings and cars on fire, and ransacked storefronts.
The unrest, which began in September as largely peaceful, student-led protests over the quality of the public education system, spiraled into the country’s worst rioting in decades, with more than 2,000 arrests and nearly 1,000 police officers injured, according to the French Interior Ministry.
To reassert control, the authorities issued curfews in parts of several cities on Oct 19, including Paris, Nice and Lille.
More demonstrations have been planned over the next two weeks. Here’s what you need to know if you plan to travel to France soon.
What parts of France have been affected?
Paris became the epicentre of demonstrations over the weekend, with major clashes and rioting at Place de la République and surrounding avenues. Many of the shops across Les Halles were looted and vandalised, while the Place de la Bastille and Place de la Concorde became flash points for stand-offs between police and protesters.
Marseille, France’s second-largest city and a popular tourist destination, also saw significant unrest, with protesters breaking into City Hall and ransacking the building, leaving graffiti and knocking over the bust of Marianne, a symbol of the French Republic. In response, authorities banned public gatherings in the city between noon and 8pm.
In Lyon, tens of thousands of protesters marched through the city on Oct 17, and some set fire to the city’s tourism office. Other major cities including Bordeaux, Lille, Calais and Limoges also experienced violence and damage to public buildings.
Is it safe to visit Paris?
While Paris is generally considered safe, government travel advisories, including those from the US State Department, urge citizens to avoid protest areas and exercise increased caution because of civil unrest. Travellers have also been advised to follow local media outlets for updates on planned demonstrations.
The next major protests are scheduled for Oct 24, Oct 31 and Nov 5, with the yellow vests, a populist protest movement, calling for gatherings at Place de la Bastille and Place de la République, although times and routes have not been finalised and are awaiting police approval.
By Oct 20, major streets in central Paris had been cleaned up and Parisians had returned to work, although many storefront windows remained broken, and burnt cars and bikes littered the streets.
Parks, including Luxembourg Gardens, Tuileries Garden and Parc Monceau, were calm. At cafes, people sat on patios with coffee and wine, and tourists and tour guides went about their days as planned.
Sophie Gacheny, an independent tour guide based in the city, urged visitors to stay on the Left Bank, or the southern bank of the River Seine, which is typically quieter during protests. Like other guides, Gacheny is planning her tours around the protests and will not run any on the days when demonstrations are scheduled.
Kiana Tiese, who offers private tours of Paris, said she took a group of visitors out for a tour on Oct 18, a day after the protests, and said everything went well.
How are tourist attractions affected?
While most major Paris landmarks including the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe remain open, local authorities can close them on short notice if large-scale protests pass through them.
On Oct 19, the Louvre was forced to shut down after protesters blocked the entrance, causing anger among tourists who had paid for their tickets. The museum has not announced when it will reopen.
The tourism board, Paris Je T’Aime, advises travellers to monitor live updates through its website and dedicated city pass app, which provide real-time updates on operating hours for major landmarks and venues.
Municipal buildings, shops and outdoor monuments have been damaged across other major cities, too, creating road closures and areas with restricted access. Be sure to check the status of a landmark and surrounding areas before travelling there.
How is local transportation affected?
French unions have called for a nationwide general strike on Nov 5, which could affect the national rail, public transit networks and roads. Under French law, transportation workers must file notice of a strike at least 48 hours before the planned action.
On demonstration days, police shut down metro stations and roads along protest routes, and bus and tram schedules are reduced.
Are there curfews?
French authorities imposed curfews on Oct 19 across parts of several major cities, including Paris, Lille, Lyon and Nice.
In Paris, the authorities enacted strict curfews in areas where demonstrations turned violent, such as Place de la République and the Les Halles commercial district.
The authorities banned public gatherings in those areas between 8pm and 6am, and prohibited people from being in public outdoor spaces across dozens of districts between 11pm on Oct 19 and 6am on Oct 20.
Police set up checkpoints around the perimeter of the curfew zones to verify the identities of residents and exempt emergency workers. It was unclear how long the curfews would last.
At the five-star Hotel Lancaster Paris, steps from the Champs-Élysées, hotel guests sipped drinks and ate French tapas on the night of Oct 19 in the lobby’s plush Copperbay cocktail bar.
The rest of the neighbourhood was equally tranquil, with no police or sirens in sight. Along the tree-shaded grand boulevard, international crowds strolled under the wrought-iron streetlamps, window-shopping at big global stores including Sephora and Zara.
Lauren Bell, 38, who was visiting the city with her sister from Madrid over the weekend, said that while the city felt calm on Oct 20, people also seemed to be preparing for the next wave.
“We were shocked to see how quickly and badly the situation got violent and out of control,” she said. “It feels like it’s not over.”
Will my travel insurance pay if I decide to cancel?
Whether your travel insurance will cover trip cancellation depends on your policy. Most standard policies don’t cover civil unrest, but if you purchased a “cancel for any reason” policy and meet the conditions, you may get reimbursed for your trip. NYTIMES
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.