France announces curfews as government grapples with unrest

France announced partial curfews in Paris and other cities on Monday in response to weekend demonstrations over rising prices that turned violent, marking some of the worst street disturbances in recent years. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu did not rule out a state of emergency if police lost control. Tourists in Paris found the Louvre closed due to student protesters, while the US embassy urged American citizens to avoid demonstrations.

The government, facing accusations of failing to anticipate and respond to the violence, vowed to restore order. Curfews would be enforced from Monday evening to Tuesday morning in several cities, including Paris, Lille, and Lyon, to protect businesses. In Paris, demonstrations were banned from 8.00pm, and a curfew took effect at 11.00pm.

Prime Minister Lecornu vowed to restore public order, emphasizing his determination. European countries have also seen demonstrations over rising prices, with smaller clashes in Milan and Belgium and simmering protests in Spain and Portugal. In Paris, a dozen demonstrators blocked the Louvre entrance, the world's most visited museum, while tourists moved back.

Prime Minister Macron acknowledged government failures in response, deploying over 60,000 law enforcement personnel on Saturday. More than 2,500 people were arrested, and nearly 1,000 security force members were injured. Over 2,513 people have been taken into police custody since the weekend, with 67 jailed and dozens facing criminal cases. Authorities plan to use facial recognition on social media to identify perpetrators.

Nationwide, more than 3,000 shops were damaged, causing economic losses in the hundreds of millions of euros. President Macron denounced the "unbridled" violence, and the EU condemned it but stressed protecting the right to peaceful protest. Germany warned of further outbreaks of violence in France, and China advised citizens to be cautious and take safety precautions.

The unrest has flared before the presidential elections in April and May, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen gaining popularity. The government suspected ultra-left groups of inciting the violence to support the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon.