Paris imposes overnight curfew after France’s worst riots in years

Paris authorities imposed an overnight curfew in two central areas following violent protests and widespread looting across the country, leaving at least 2,400 people arrested and damaging or looting about 3,000 businesses. The curfew, in effect from 11pm Monday to 6am Tuesday, prohibited entry into Place de la République, the site of Saturday's rioting, and the Les Halles shopping district.

Gatherings and demonstrations were banned from 8pm Monday, with the measures aimed at protecting both people and property from further violence and looting. Paris police reported that nationwide, 2,400 individuals were arrested and around 3,000 businesses suffered damage or looting. Léonard Lecornu, the Interior Minister, defended the police response, emphasizing that despite the extensive property damage and violent scenes, no one had been killed, describing it as a "miracle."

Nationwide protests over rising living costs and subpar school conditions sparked the unrest, reminiscent of previous unrest during the yellow vest movement and riots following a fatal police shooting in 2023. President Emmanuel Macron rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's resignation, insisting on continued leadership amid the crisis and instructing Nuñez to address failures in planning and intelligence-gathering, while introducing new policing tactics swiftly.

Nuñez acknowledged that authorities lost control in some major cities during Saturday's riots, blaming the violence on looters and far-left activists and advocating for police tactics to adapt to highly mobile groups. In Paris, shopkeepers assessed the damage, with some, like Ouri Zagoury, reporting that looters broke into his video game store despite police advice not to intervene.

Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally party, criticized the government's failure to protect the public and urged voters to hold it accountable in the upcoming election.