France announced partial curfews in Paris and other cities on Monday, after weekend demonstrations over soaring prices turned into some of the worst street violence in recent years. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu did not rule out declaring a state of emergency, after Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police had “lost control” during the unrest.
The disorder has put the government under pressure to explain how it failed to anticipate and respond to the violence. Officials have said they are determined to restore order while trying to calm public anger. The unrest comes about six months before France elects a successor to President Emmanuel Macron, and organisers have called for another round of protests next Saturday.
Curfews and protest bans in French cities
Authorities said partial curfews would be enforced from Monday evening until Tuesday morning in several cities, including Paris, Lille and Lyon. The measures were introduced to protect businesses. In the capital, a curfew began at 11:00 pm (2100 GMT), and demonstrations were banned from 8:00 pm.
The disruption was also felt by visitors. Tourists in Paris found the Louvre closed on Monday because a small group of student protesters had blocked its entrance. Lecornu said he was “absolutely determined to restore public order.”
Weekend protests descend into violence
On Saturday, about half a million people joined demonstrations across France to protest the rising cost of living. The rallies were the culmination of four weeks of protests that began with students demanding better conditions at high schools. Many events started peacefully, but in numerous cities they degenerated into violence.
Masked groups attacked law enforcement officers, broke into public buildings and set some of them alight, and looted shops. They also set fire to cars, bicycles and scooters. Officials said more than 2,500 people were arrested and nearly 1,000 members of the security forces were injured. Protesters were hurt as well, and one demonstrator lost a hand after it was blown off by a police crowd-control grenade.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said at least 3,000 shops had been damaged, with the cost running into hundreds of millions of euros. On Monday, Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff urged online resale platforms to remove listings for “stolen items” taken during the looting. She summoned representatives of companies including Vinted and eBay.
Government response faces scrutiny at home
After the weekend violence, Nunez offered his resignation, but Macron refused to accept it. Macron acknowledged shortcomings in the government’s response, even though 60,000 law enforcement personnel had been deployed on Saturday. In an address to the nation on Sunday, he condemned the “unbridled” violence.
Darmanin said that since the weekend, 2,513 people had been taken into police custody nationwide, and 67 had been jailed. He added that “dozens” of criminal cases had been opened. He also said authorities would use facial recognition on social media to identify those responsible for the violence.
The government has accused ultra-left groups of stoking the unrest to boost the chances of far-left figure Jean-Luc Melenchon in the presidential polls. The presidential election is scheduled for April and May. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is riding high in the polls. The interior minister and intelligence services were due to meet late on Monday to discuss the violence.
Reaction spreads across Europe and beyond
The European Union called the violence “unacceptable” but said the right to peaceful protest “must be protected” in France. Germany condemned the violence and updated its travel advice for France, saying “further outbreaks of violence in the coming days cannot be ruled out.” China has warned its citizens travelling to France to be aware of risks and take safety precautions, according to state media.
Similar protests over rising prices have also taken place elsewhere in Europe. Clashes broke out on the sidelines of a cost-of-living demonstration in Milan over the weekend. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said he was “very worried” because it was a new phenomenon that also came from an international scenario. In Belgium, police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in Brussels and Liege. In Spain, protesters have set up tents in central Madrid to denounce soaring housing costs, and similar encampments have appeared in Portugal’s main cities of Lisbon and Porto.
