France Imposes Curfews in Paris and Other Cities After Rioting

World

Curfews imposed in major French cities

France has taken a step rarely seen in peacetime—overnight curfews in parts of its biggest cities, following a weekend of rioting and looting across the country. In Paris, police announced that from eleven at night until six in the morning, people would be barred from Place de la République, the square where protesters had been gathering, and from the Les Halles shopping district nearby. Unauthorized gatherings have also been banned in several other central neighborhoods.

Similar measures, some aimed specifically at young people and others at groups in public spaces, are being rolled out in cities from Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon in the south to Lille in the north.

BBC News

Curfew imposed in parts of central Paris and other cities after rioting across France

Planner: Harrison Day

15 hours ago

France:Night curfew imposed

How the protests grew and escalated

What makes this unrest so striking is how far it has traveled from its starting point. The protests began only last month, led by students calling for better conditions in their schools. Since then, the movement has broadened into something much larger and more diffuse, and this weekend, trade unions and a range of other protest groups swelled the crowds.

The human cost is mounting. Officials say more than 2,500 people have been arrested, and around 1,000 police officers have been injured. According to the AFP news agency, one demonstrator lost a hand to a police crowd control grenade.

Political pressure on the government

Politically, the pressure is falling squarely on Interior Minister Núñez. Opposition figures have accused the government of being caught unprepared, and Núñez himself conceded that police had lost control in some cities. He offered to resign, but President Macron turned him down.

After a crisis meeting on Monday, the Prime Minister said mayors would now be able to impose curfews wherever they judged them necessary, though he didn't say which cities would use that power. For now, the government is betting that emptying the streets at night will buy it time. Whether it addresses the anger behind the protests is another question entirely.