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France Imposes Curfews in Paris, Lille and Nice After Weekend Riots; Unions Call Nov 5 Strike
French authorities imposed localized curfews in Paris, Lille, Nice and other cities on October 19 after a weekend of riots and looting. PM Lecornu ruled out a blanket Paris curfew but not a state of emergency.
Why it matters
This is the first time France has imposed simultaneous curfews in multiple cities beyond Paris after a weekend of anti-government protests turned into riots and looting. Paris police announced on October 19 that protests were banned in certain areas of the capital from 8pm, with a curfew around Place de la République and Les Halles from 11pm until 6am Tuesday. Minors face an 8pm–6am curfew for the next two days in Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain; Nice's mayor Éric Ciotti signed a minors' overnight curfew for central Nice; Marseille banned all gatherings and demonstrations.
Full report
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ruled out a blanket curfew in Paris but not a state of emergency: "My determination to restore order is absolute." He blamed far-left groups for some of France's worst unrest in years, saying they wanted to cause "profound unrest" ahead of the presidential election in about six months. Unions have called for a new round of nationwide strikes and rallies on 5 November.
The unrest grew out of weeks of student demonstrations combined with anger over the cost of living, escalating into violence and looting over the weekend. The coming weekend's protests will test whether the curfews can contain the violence.
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