Police ‘lost control’ during French protests, says interior minister

French authorities found themselves grappling with a chaotic weekend of protests that resulted in two deaths and thousands of injuries, plunging the nation into crisis as they struggled to regain control. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting on Monday following some of the worst unrest since May 1968, when mass student and worker protests nearly brought France to the brink of revolution.

In response to the violent demonstrations, Lecornu considered imposing partial curfews in some municipalities and indicated a willingness to declare a state of emergency if deemed necessary.

During the protests, at least 2,000 individuals were arrested, including those who sustained severe injuries, such as a 15-year-old boy who lost his hand to a stun grenade. Despite calls for his resignation, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was retained to maintain the operational chain of command. Macron, however, rejected Nunez's resignation offer, stating that those responsible for the damage and destruction must pay, and those seeking to undermine the Republic will be held accountable.

The protests began in September as students and teachers in Paris suburbs demanded more resources for their underfunded schools. However, dissatisfaction with the education system and the overall economy led to nationwide demonstrations. An excessive use of force by police, especially against students, intensified the unrest. In Marseille, authorities imposed a curfew from midday until 8pm on Monday following widespread protests and looting throughout the weekend.

The unrest occurs amid fiscal and social crises affecting the European Union's second-largest economy. France narrowly avoided a recession in the second quarter of the year, but the Israeli-US war on Iran has exacerbated energy price shocks. A recent survey by France's largest employers' federation, Medef, revealed that 82 percent of respondents were pessimistic about the government's economic policies, with 66 percent fearing financial vulnerability for their companies in the coming years.