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France Imposes Curfews After Nationwide Riots
Confirmed
In Short: French authorities imposed curfews in parts of Paris and other cities after weekend rioting damaged businesses and exposed police failures.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered regional authorities to introduce localized curfews following a weekend of widespread rioting, looting, and violent clashes with police across the country.
The curfews were imposed in response to serious riots during protests over rising living costs and deteriorating public services.
In Paris and other cities, police fired tear gas to control crowds, and more than 500,000 people participated in nationwide demonstrations.
The unrest began as a protest over teacher shortages and classroom overcrowding but expanded to include broader economic grievances.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered his resignation Sunday, but President Emmanuel Macron refused it, citing the need for continued command of law enforcement.
Macron appealed for calm Sunday, a day after France suffered one of its worst days of unrest in years, with thousands arrested and shops looted or damaged.
According to the Interior Ministry, 166 people had been arrested nationwide, and nearly 1,000 officers were injured.
The ministry recorded 140 protest actions across the country by midday, with 32,800 participants.
In the northern town of Denain, authorities introduced a nighttime curfew following disturbances involving vandalism, burning garbage containers, and attacks on police.
High school students and other protesters voiced anger over rising expenses and deteriorating public services.
One demonstrator, Jules Petrichor, 47, said, 'There was a good atmosphere and then suddenly they (the police) started gassing us, even though nothing was happening. Naturally that worsened things and the hot-heads got hot-headed.'
Nuñez specifically blamed the 'radical left' for stoking the riots, saying that 'groups of several hundred or thousands of rioters, clearly instigated by the far left, attacked the police.'
What's confirmed
- French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered regional authorities to introduce localized curfews following a weekend of widespread rioting, looting, and violent clashes with police across the country.
- The curfews were imposed in response to serious riots during protests over rising living costs and deteriorating public services.
- In Paris and other cities, police fired tear gas to control crowds, and more than 500,000 people participated in nationwide demonstrations.
- The unrest began as a protest over teacher shortages and classroom overcrowding but expanded to include broader economic grievances.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered his resignation Sunday, but President Emmanuel Macron refused it, citing the need for continued command of law enforcement.
- Macron appealed for calm Sunday, a day after France suffered one of its worst days of unrest in years, with thousands arrested and shops looted or damaged.
- According to the Interior Ministry, 166 people had been arrested nationwide, and nearly 1,000 officers were injured.
- The ministry recorded 140 protest actions across the country by midday, with 32,800 participants.
- In the northern town of Denain, authorities introduced a nighttime curfew following disturbances involving vandalism, burning garbage containers, and attacks on police.
- High school students and other protesters voiced anger over rising expenses and deteriorating public services.
What's still developing
- Meanwhile, France's "Yellow Vest" protest movement has announced further demonstrations for Saturday, Oct. 24.
- Macron also asked for the introduction of "new policing tactics on the ground as quickly as possible" to put an end to violent events.
- Organizers called for another mobilization Saturday, Oct. 24.
- An Apple store in Lille was among dozens of shops looted in France Macron and his government were criticised by many of the demonstrators, who numbered 500,000 across the country, according to the CGT union.
- (Photo by William Skipworth/New Hampshire Bulletin) The theme of Saturday’s nationwide No Kings protest was “vote early.” However, New Hampshire — which saw demonstrations in Portsmouth, Nashua, Littleton and other cities — doesn’t allow early in-person voting.
- Here's a breakdown of the latest prices in most major cities, states and territories.
- This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
- The destruction of Lyon’s tourist office has put a tourism landmark at the center of the unrest while Paris saw many streets and squares being damaged with shops looted.
- What began last month as a small protest over teacher shortages at a school in the Créteil suburb of Paris has become a full-on national revolt, with various leftist unions and other organisations also taking to the streets in cities across the country on Saturday, with an estimated 550,000 demonstrators.
- While there was no immediate information on who was involved, it is not uncommon in France for street protests to attract so-called "casseurs," a fringe of rioters who seek to confront police and destroy property.
- Now in its fourth week, the nationwide protest movement over teacher shortages, classroom overcrowding and crumbling school buildings has involved marches, blockades of hundreds of schools and, in some cases, clashes with police.
- “At the end of the month, I have nothing left. Prices are going up but wages aren’t,” said Franck, a civil servant in his forties who would not give his surname, as he demonstrated in the central town of Gueret with around 300 people, a quarter of them high school students.