France will introduce new curfews wherever the situation demands it, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on Tuesday. He confirmed that the targeted restrictions placed in several cities the previous night had successfully helped maintain calm across the country.
The announcement comes after France experienced some of its most serious rioting in recent years on Saturday. The violence erupted just six months before the nation chooses a successor to President Emmanuel Macron. Facing sharp criticism for failing to prevent and control the street disorder, the government has promised to restore order and earlier declared partial curfews in Paris and other major cities.
Lecornu stated on X that the targeted curfews clearly contributed to a quieter night. He added that fresh curfew decisions will be taken on the ground by local prefects working closely with mayors in areas where tension remains high. Police later confirmed that the night passed without any major incidents nationwide.
Several cities including Paris, Bordeaux in the southwest and Nice on the French Riviera had already enforced partial curfews on Monday. These measures followed weeks of student protests over poor conditions in high schools that spilled into wider urban unrest. While the Paris restrictions initially covered only one night, those in Bordeaux and Nice were planned to continue for several days.
In the capital a police helicopter hovered over Place de la Republique, a key flashpoint of the earlier chaos, using a strong searchlight to check compliance with the curfew rules. In Lyon around 500 people still gathered outside the tourism office that had been set on fire, despite a ban on demonstrations. They lit candles to spell out the word LYON on the ground and showed support for local shopkeepers hit by looting. A nearby banner demanded the resignation of Green mayor Gregory Doucet.
The government faces mounting pressure and has arranged further emergency meetings on Tuesday. These include discussions with major social media platforms. Finance Minister Roland Lescure promised practical support for affected shopkeepers and craftspeople. Meanwhile Patrick Martin, head of the powerful Medef business lobby group, openly accused the state of having failed during the unrest that damaged at least 3,000 businesses according to early estimates.
