France announces city curfews as Macron orders response to weekend unrest
Partial curfews were announced for Paris, Lille and Lyon after widespread violence. President Emmanuel Macron asked his interior minister to review street safety and pursue those responsible.
France announced partial curfews in Paris, Lille and Lyon for Monday evening, 19 October 2026, after a weekend of rioting and looting. President Emmanuel Macron also asked Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to examine how to make streets safer and bring those responsible to justice.
The curfews were scheduled to run into Tuesday morning to protect businesses, AFP reported. In Paris, the curfew was set to begin at 11pm, with demonstrations banned from 8pm. AFP reported that more than 2,500 people had been arrested. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said he was determined to restore public order and did not rule out a state of emergency.
Macron's instructions after the violence
Nuñez tried to resign, the Élysée Palace announced on Monday morning, according to the BBC. Macron instead asked him to examine street safety and how to bring perpetrators of the weekend violence to justice. The BBC said Lecornu was holding a crisis cabinet meeting to assess the unrest.
Macron also instructed prefects to work with mayors to protect public buildings and businesses in the coming weeks, including by banning protests where necessary, AP reported. The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon requested a meeting with Lecornu in the coming days, citing the damage and the seriousness of the situation.
Damage and competing accounts of the unrest
Authorities said thousands of businesses were damaged or looted, according to AP. In Limoges, fire engulfed the 19th-century city hall, collapsing its roof and nearly destroying the building. France's interior ministry said about 1,000 police officers were injured on Saturday, seven of them seriously, the BBC reported.
The violence unfolded alongside demonstrations over rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. Hundreds of thousands of people marched peacefully, AP reported. Macron and Lecornu blamed radical far-left groups and delinquents for the violence, while hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused the government of incompetence, according to the BBC.
Organisers called for another round of protests the following Saturday, AFP reported. Separately, trade unions and the Yellow Vest movement had announced large protests for 5 November, according to the BBC.
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Sources and context
- How France’s worst rioting in years erupted and how the government respondedHindustan Times, automated AP news agency feed
- France announces curfews as government grapples with unrestDawn, AFP report
- France's government under pressure after weekend of widespread violenceBBC News
- France arrests thousands for rioting and looting as protests against living costs spreadKorea Herald, AP report
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.