After riots and looting, French Prime Minister Lecornu calls for localized curfews in cities to curb unrest

Curfews planned after unrest

Lecornu said prefects had been instructed to impose “very limited” and “localized” curfews to prevent further rioting and looting. He spoke after an emergency meeting with senior government officials and said the affected areas would be identified later Monday.

The violence followed protests over rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. On Saturday, public buildings, including city halls, and businesses were targeted across the country. At least 2,400 people were arrested.

Macron keeps Nuñez in post

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered to resign Sunday, saying on France Inter radio that he was responsible for what was happening. Macron declined the resignation, citing the need for continued command of law enforcement during the emergency, according to the president’s office Monday.

Macron told Nuñez to ensure transparency about planning and intelligence-gathering failures linked to the violence. He also called for new policing tactics on the ground to be introduced quickly.

Looting and fires in cities

On Sunday evening, groups set fires to bins, bicycles and other objects and looted businesses in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities. Nuñez said authorities had lost control in some major cities, where hundreds of businesses were looted.

Police response under scrutiny

Nuñez attributed the violence to troublemakers, looters and far-left activists. He said police strategy needed to adapt to highly mobile groups, while authorities reported that crowds of hundreds sought confrontations with police and attacked public offices.

Lecornu said no one was killed Saturday despite severe violence and extensive property damage, calling that outcome a miracle. Nuñez said authorities needed to improve their ability to anticipate the mobilization.