France imposes curfews after riots as arrests top 2,300

France imposed partial curfews in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Nice on Monday after the country’s worst riots in years, with more than 2,300 people arrested since the unrest began on Saturday, according to the government.

The measures come about six months before France elects a successor to President Emmanuel Macron, and the interior minister has offered to resign over what he admitted was a loss of police control. Macron refused the resignation, the Élysée Palace said, according to ITV News.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on X that “targeted curfews have contributed to calm overnight,” and that new ones would be imposed “where the situation requires it,” with prefects, the state’s regional representatives, deciding locally with mayors, Euronews reported from AFP. Police said Monday night into Tuesday passed without major incidents.

The arrest count differs by source. The Interior Ministry put it above 2,300, and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin later cited more than 2,330 people taken into custody over the weekend, 70 per cent of them adults, Al Jazeera reported. ITV said more than 2,400, while another Al Jazeera report put the figure above 2,500. Canada News Media has not been able to reconcile the numbers, which are still moving.

In Paris, a curfew covers the area around Place de la République and Les Halles from 11 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, and gatherings were banned citywide from 8 p.m., Al Jazeera reported. Curfews, some limited to minors, applied in Lyon, Nice and Coulaines on Monday night. Lille and three nearby communes were set for Monday and Tuesday nights. Lecornu ruled out a curfew for all of Paris but said a state of emergency could be declared if needed.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police “lost control” over the weekend and cited a lack of anticipation and insufficient numbers, according to Al Jazeera. He told France Inter he offered to resign because he is “responsible for everything that is happening,” ITV reported. Macron asked him to stay and to ensure transparency over “the failures in planning and intelligence that led to the violence,” and said those who sought to bring down the Republic “will be held accountable.”

Almost 1,000 police and gendarmes were injured on Saturday, and about 60,000 law enforcement personnel were deployed nationwide that day, Al Jazeera reported, citing Nuñez. More than 500,000 people took part in Saturday’s protests, which began as student demonstrations over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages before widening into anger over living costs and fuel prices. Preliminary estimates cited by Euronews put at least 3,000 businesses hit. Finance Minister Roland Lescure pledged support for shopkeepers and craftspeople, while Patrick Martin, head of the Medef business lobby, accused the state of having “failed.”

The politics are turning quickly. Former prime ministers Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, both potential presidential candidates, argue that Macron has lost authority and reacted too late, Euronews reported. Macron has drawn criticism for travelling to the Gulf while the crisis unfolded; the Élysée says the trip aims to secure energy supplies as prices rise. National Rally leader Jordan Bardella said the government is “collapsing under its own weight.” Presidential elections are due in April and May 2027, and Macron cannot run again because of the two-term limit.

For Canadians in France, the federal government’s travel advisory tells travellers to exercise a high degree of caution, mainly because of terrorism. The page, last updated Oct. 13 on travel.gc.ca, warns that even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time and advises avoiding areas with large gatherings. It was updated before the riots and does not mention curfews, so travellers should check local rules, follow instructions from local authorities and monitor local media.

What happens next is scheduled. Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff was to meet social media company heads on Tuesday over looted goods being resold online, and union leaders are due to meet Lecornu on Wednesday. Lecornu will hold talks with political parties on Thursday. Protesters have called for more demonstrations on Saturday, though France’s main trade unions have not backed them, Al Jazeera reported.

Our earlier reports covered how the protests drew 550,000 people and burned Limoges town hall, the first arrest tallies as Macron prepared to address the nation, and the rise in France’s 10-year borrowing costs ahead of a budget vote.

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Via Euronews (AFP), Al Jazeera and ITV News.