French authorities are preparing to impose new local curfews in areas where necessary after a weekend of widespread unrest damaged public buildings, businesses and other properties across the country.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that restrictions imposed in several cities had helped maintain calm overnight. He confirmed that local authorities would be able to implement similar measures again if conditions required further intervention.
The latest restrictions followed violent incidents on Saturday, described as some of France’s worst rioting in recent years. Town halls, public facilities and thousands of businesses were among the locations targeted during the unrest, prompting officials to take steps to protect residents and commercial areas.
In Paris, police introduced an overnight curfew covering two central locations: Place de la République and the Châtelet–Les Halles shopping district. Both areas had experienced unrest or looting during the weekend.
The restrictions began at 11 pm on Monday and remained in place until 6 am on Tuesday. Authorities also prohibited public gatherings and demonstrations in the designated areas from 8 pm.
Other cities adopted measures suited to local circumstances. Lyon imposed movement restrictions in its central district, where a tourist office had been set on fire during Saturday’s protests. A separate ban on gatherings applied in parts of the city from early Monday evening.
In Nice, an overnight curfew was introduced for unaccompanied minors in the city centre, running from 9 pm until 6 am. Several northern communities, including Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain, also restricted the movement of unaccompanied people under 18 in designated areas between 8 pm and 6 am.
Lecornu defended the police response to the violence, pointing to the scale of the damage while noting that no fatalities had been reported in the unrest, according to his remarks.
The government’s approach centres on limited, geographically focused restrictions rather than broader measures affecting entire cities. Officials are expected to assess local conditions before deciding whether further curfews are needed.
The unrest comes around six months before France is due to elect a successor to President Emmanuel Macron, adding to the political significance of the situation.
