France will impose new curfews in areas where needed on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said, after restrictions introduced in several cities helped prevent major incidents overnight.
“Targeted curfews have contributed to calm overnight,” Lecornu wrote on X, adding that prefects would decide on further measures in coordination with mayors.
“Tonight new curfews will be decided where the situation requires it,” he said.
France was rocked by some of its worst rioting in recent years on Saturday, six months before the country elects a successor to President Emmanuel Macron.
The government, accused of failing to anticipate and contain the violence, introduced partial curfews in Paris and several other cities on Monday. Police said the night passed without major incidents nationwide.
Restrictions extended in some cities
Paris, Bordeaux in the southwest and Nice on the French Riviera were among the cities to introduce partial curfews in response to unrest following weeks of student demonstrations over poor conditions in high schools.
Some restrictions, including those in Paris, initially applied only overnight from Monday to Tuesday. Measures in Bordeaux and Nice were set to remain in force for several days.
In Paris, a helicopter flew over Place de la Republique, one of the focal points of the unrest, using a powerful searchlight to monitor compliance with the curfew.
In Lyon, around 500 people gathered outside a tourism office that had been set on fire, despite a ban on demonstrations. Organisers said the gathering on Monday evening was held in support of shopkeepers affected by looting.
Candles spelled out “LYON” on the ground, while a banner nearby read “Anti-Rioters Lyon” and “Doucet Resign”, referring to Green Party Mayor Gregory Doucet, an AFP journalist reported.
Government faces pressure over damage
The government has scheduled further emergency meetings for Tuesday, including talks with representatives of major social media platforms.
Finance Minister Roland Lescure pledged support measures for shopkeepers and craftspeople.
Patrick Martin, head of the Medef business lobby, accused the state on Tuesday of having “failed” during the unrest, saying preliminary estimates indicated that at least 3,000 businesses had been affected.
