French government asked local authorities to impose curfews as it faced pressure over security failings yesterday after a weekend of riots and looting stemming from nationwide anti-government protests.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ruled out a blanket curfew in Paris but not a state of emergency. But he said it was more appropriate for now to apply partial and localised curfews, without providing details.
“My determination to restore order is absolute,” he said.
Marseille banned gatherings and demonstrations. French unions meanwhile called for a new round of strikes and rallies on November 5.
Lecornu blamed far-left groups for some of France’s worst unrest in years. “There is, after all, a far-left movement that wants to cause - we can’t put it any more strongly - profound unrest in the country in the run-up to the presidential election,” he said.
Hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon urged him to provide evidence. “Otherwise, he should apologise, keep quiet and stop fanning the flames of unrest,” he said on X.
The Federation of Trade and Retail said almost 3,000 shops had been affected over the weekend. “Once again, the retail sector finds itself on the front line, at a time when it is already weakened by a succession of crises,” it said.
“Behind every ransacked shop are business owners, employees and families who have seen years of work and effort wiped out in a matter of hours,” it added, calling for social security and tax relief for affected businesses.
