French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called on regional authorities to impose “local and partial” curfews in some cities following violent weekend protests, after the government acknowledged that police had “lost control” in several locations across the country.
Speaking to reporters after an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday, Lecornu said he was determined to restore public order. However, he ruled out imposing a blanket curfew across entire cities.
Lecornu said a state of emergency would be declared if necessary, but argued that partial curfews were “more appropriate” at the current stage. He also blamed the “ultra-left” for exploiting the protests.
French Police Admit Losing Control During Unrest
The prime minister’s remarks came after France’s interior minister acknowledged that police had “lost control” in some cities during the demonstrations. President Emmanuel Macron has called for a comprehensive security review and new operational methods to bring the rioting to an end.
The interior minister said on Monday that preparations had suffered from a “lack of anticipation”. He also conceded that police numbers had been insufficient to deal with rioters and looters in certain areas.
Nuñez said intelligence assessments had projected that around 200,000 demonstrators would take part in protests nationwide. However, more than 500,000 people turned out, and peaceful demonstrations were hijacked, leading to one of the most violent days of unrest in recent years.
He said he had submitted his resignation because he felt “responsible for everything that happened”, but Macron rejected it. Instead, the president instructed Nuñez to “take all necessary steps to ensure transparency over planning and intelligence failures”.
Shops Looted as Protests Intensify Across France
The unrest follows weeks of demonstrations by high school students, which have occasionally been marked by violent clashes with police.
Public buildings, including a town hall, were attacked and set on fire, while an estimated 2,000 shops were ransacked and looted.
Violence and looting continued on Sunday. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said on Monday that around 30 shops had been targeted in the capital over the previous 24 hours. Meanwhile, 350 people were arrested overnight.
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On Monday, protesters blocked the entrances to the Louvre Museum in support of the nationwide high school student protest movement and to denounce what they described as “police repression”. The museum was unable to open as scheduled because of the demonstration.
“We are proud to announce that we are blocking the world’s largest museum,” a leaflet displayed outside the museum read.
Macron Visits Gulf to Secure Fuel Supplies
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kuwait as part of a Gulf tour aimed at securing additional petrol and diesel supplies to help reduce fuel prices at pumps in France. Macron is also visiting the United Arab Emirates during the trip.
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